The Edge of Oblivion
by Relena's Glam Squad
Summary: [Chapter 10 Posted] Heero lips twitched as he considered Duo's question. "No," he lied. "Doesn't cross my mind…"
1. Prologue

**The Edge of Oblivion**

**Prologue**

_May 13, A.C. 198_

It was dark and hazy as he tried to open his eyes, struggling against heavy lids. He didn't know where he was, what time it was, or how he'd gotten there. All he knew was that he'd been taken.

His head pounded. He quickly assessed the rest of his body. His hands were bound behind him. A cowl or pillowcase had been placed over his head, but that was being ripped off.

"Wakey, wakey…" came a singsong voice, followed by a chorus of low chuckles.

"Wh…" he sputtered, not quite able to speak. Whatever he'd been given was powerful. Powerful enough to get him there, wherever he was, and for him not to remember a bloody thing that happened before.

A sliver of light shot through the room as a door creaked open. He heard heavy footfalls approaching.

"He's awake?"

"Hai, hai."

Japanese. The conversation continued in Japanese, mixed with what sounded like Mandarin, with the occasional English word thrown in. Whoever the group was seemed to be leaving the room, as he heard rustling and footsteps and a door being opened and closed.

As he lifted his head and took in his surroundings through bleary eyes, a middle-aged Asian suit bent toward him, addressing him in English.

"Welcome, young man. Sorry for the rough treatment. We hope you are not too uncomfortable."

"What… do you want?" The captive answered slowly.

"Well, that's quite complicated." The man backed up, strolling to a nearby chair and taking a seat. "But in short, we want you."

His head felt as though it were splintering into pieces. "What for?" He winced.

"To help us solve a problem."

The captive was still waking up slowly, but already growing tired of the vague responses. "Just spit it out," he urged. "Who are you, and what the hell do you want with me?"

The older Asian man laughed. "Relax. I am not your enemy. At least, not yet. And I will tell you who I am, in time. For now, know that I am part of a global alliance that wants to effect change in the world, for a better future."

That could be taken any number of ways. And not necessarily in a good way. The captive grimaced. "What kind of change?"

The man stood and began to pace, hands clasped behind his back. The captive looked around the room, his vision gradually restoring itself. He was in what appeared to be a five-star hotel suite. The older man was accompanied by a tall, burly man who appeared to be a mixture of Asian and Hispanic descent, guarding the door.

The older man flashed a smile. "I know you already have a thorough understanding of the geopolitical scene; you surround yourself with its cast and characters. So I won't bore you with unnecessary details. But since it's not often you and your colleagues appear in the east, I'll fill you in on what we've been working on."

The young man frowned. "We?"

"Our alliance, if you will." The older man spread his hands. "We are a global network of political leaders, businessmen, current and former military members, spies, assassins." He paused. A smile. "Ninjas. And, of course, the occasional yakusa."

"An alliance, huh?"

"Yes."

The captive glowered. "And who are you allied against?"

"Ah." The older gentleman smiled further. "You understand perfectly. We have crafted a manifesto to disassemble the new world order, one-world government currently in power."

There was, of course, only one of those he could mean. "ESUN?"

"Yes. It is comprised of current and former Romefeller, OZ and White Fang members and is not to be trusted. It's time to shift the balance of power. The western world has held it far too long."

More of the same old… The captive thought. Another mysterious group clamoring for control. Despite his youth, he'd already seen it all.

"So you're out to start another war, then?" he scoffed.

The older man shook his head slowly. "No. To stop the war. Before it starts. That's where you come in. Are you not a Preventer?"

"Yeah, but… the world is in peace." The young man frowned. "It's been in peace. We've managed to stop several quasi-upbringings." His deep baritone rose as he spoke. "The members of ESUN are holding a broken world together, building new relationships with the colonies… There's no need to further disrupt that effort."

The older man leaned forward, resting his elbows against his thighs, clad in obviously expensive trousers. "That's where you've been blinded. You don't see what's happening right in front of your eyes… Hidden in plain sight."

"What, exactly?"

"The organization you trust has built a global empire. They control everything; the flow of money. The distribution of wealth. Food. Medicine. Weapons. The abandonment of arms two years ago didn't end all wars. All it did was lead to the rise of new weapons. Biochemical ones."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying fighting on the frontlines isn't the only way to stage a battle. Do you remember the flu outbreak last year?"

"Yeah…"

"A new strain of the flu broke out in southeast Asia, killing thousands. Only Asians were affected. You saw the news, yes?"

"Of course."

"And where do you think it came from?"

Was this man blaming ESUN? Or Romefeller? Or… both?

"You're saying this is being used to launch a new war," the captive concluded.

"It was an attempt. But the alliance tries to settle these matters without bloodshed. At least on a global scale. Which is where you come in. We want you to get to the bottom of this, find out how they harvested the virus, and what else they have planned. And help us to take down those responsible. This was likely just a test-run; the next strain should prove far more deadly. It's about population control, and they very badly want to control the dwindling population."

"And what if I say no?"

"We thought there might be a chance."

The man stood and opened a nearby dresser drawer, removing a ceremonial sepukku blade. He slid it over to the captive, then instructed the bodyguard to unbind the boy's hands.

"You have the night to think about it," the man said. "If we find you alive in the morning, we'll know what you have chosen. And if it means that you were too cowardly to do it yourself, we'll do it for you."

The man smiled before turning his heel and heading for the door, which his bodyguard opened. "Choose wisely, my friend."

The young man stared at the sword for a moment before rising, slowly, to his feet. His balance was still off from the medication, and he swayed slightly. He still couldn't remember how he'd been taken, but that hardly mattered now. What mattered was finding a way out.

If there was any.

He walked over to the room's window, and saw that he was several stories up from the ground. Not that he hadn't jumped from drastic heights before; but this time, he didn't have any parachutes, grappling hooks, or any other similar equipment. He ran his hands over his person. Of course, his gun and knives had been confiscated. Also missing were his wallet and phone.

There was no phone in the room, either. They'd seen to that. A look through the peephole revealed the burly bodyguard would be keeping an eye out all night.

So. His options were few.

He sat down on the bed, large and ornately covered, placing his chin in his hands. Did he even have to think about it? Maybe cooperating wouldn't be so bad. If there was some global scheme at work and Romefeller was responsible, shouldn't he act?

Shouldn't he at least try?

All he could think about was getting a message to his comrades. Not to alarm them, but to at least let them know he was all right. He hoped they would be able to tell her.

He was all alone, so he allowed himself to sigh.

One face, one name echoed around him in the darkness. He would stay. He would live. He would secure the situation and find his way back to her.

_Relena..._

-Relena's Glam Squad


	2. The Return

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter One: The Return

**December 31, A.C. 207**

**Brussels, Belgium**

_The president talks far too much…_

Foreign Minister Relena Darlian-Peacecraft thought as she smoothed her skirt over her knees for what seemed like the millionth time that night. Nonchalantly, she lifted her arm to check her watch, which informed her that the president had been droning on for over an hour. The minutes until midnight were ticking by, and the audience was nowhere near ready to retire into the ballroom for the countdown and champagne, to ring in year A.C. 208.

Beside Relena, the Vice Foreign Minister Sandy Waters fidgeted in her own dress, clearly not comfortable in the heavy fabric and silk gloves. For the evening, Sandy had piled her curly brown hair on top of her head, adorned with a glittering hairnet. The dress she wore fit perfectly to the young woman's petite form, though it took several fittings to get it just right.

The young politician glanced at her superior and mentor, and feigned a look like she wanted to die. Relena smiled slightly, restraining herself a bit, knowing that thousands of people were watching live, and millions were watching on their television sets at home.

Relena returned her gaze to the gathered guests seated below the stage in the theatre. All were dressed for the ball, in lavish and expensive gowns and tuxedos. The women were a sight, bringing their own styles from all over the world and the colonies, shining under the stage lights. And the men, looking handsome beside the women, complimenting the choices of colors and styles by slight variations in the traditional tuxedo. Relena always marveled at these events and the kind of fashion ideas that people came up with.

Her eyes lifted up to stage right, where several balconies jutted out from the wall. In one balcony nearest the stage, Relena spotted her fiance, Prince Timothy Lockhart of England. He was dressed in his finest tuxedo, wearing a rose in his lapel that matched the blue color of Relena's gown. His light hair was cropped close to his scalp, almost as a military haircut. But he looked handsome with his clean shaven face and lovely hazel eyes, not that Relena could see all that from her position on the stage. No, he'd gazed at her with those hazel eyes as he kissed her good luck before she stepped onto the stage for her speech. As she'd stepped into the glare of the stage lights, he'd whispered, "Good luck, Princess."

Relena swallowed back a sigh. She was both excited and nervous about her approaching marriage to Timothy. Though her country had collapsed under the weight of battle, Relena knew she was still technically a princess. And she had been Queen of the Earth Sphere for a short time. But after the Eve Wars ended, she'd managed to burrow herself down enough to have a bit of privacy every now and then. Soon, the people of the Earth and Colonies realized that being a Vice Foreign Minister wasn't as exciting during peace as it had been during the war, and Relena's time in the limelight faded, much to her pleasure.

It was at a charity ball in A.C. 205, hosted by the stragglers of the Romefeller foundation, headed up by Dorothy Catalonia, that Relena first met Prince Timothy Lockhart. He'd become infatuated with her immediately, and just like that, Relena's private life disappeared, and she was once again thrust into the spotlight. The advantageous marriage, however, kept Relena from shying away from the cameras and the press. And of course, Timothy was a kind, patient, and stable man to have in her life.

Relena's eyes swept the crowd once more. A movement off to the side caught her eye; the movement stood out among the sea of guests sitting still in their seats, struggling to keep their eyes open. Relena narrowed her eyes and kept watch, occasionally allowing her eyes to dart around the room, checking for other movement. Nothing else stood out. The curtain fluttered again, and Relena felt certain that someone was standing there. A beat passed, and a figure stepped out from behind the curtain. Relena swallowed hard. The person who'd stepped out was wearing an old uniform from the days of OZ. In a flash, the arms of the false soldier were raised, and in the hands, a gun glinted in the light. The barrel was trained on the president.

Relena jumped from her seat, her right hand reached around to her back, where her weapon was hidden among the folds of silk. She raised the gun in one hand and lept to the side, crashing into and surprising the President as she knocked him to the ground. The crack of the gun echoed through the theatre, and the bullet smashed through the podium, sent splinters flying, then ripped through the backdrop, finally lodging itself in the bricks behind the curtains.

Relena pushed herself off the President, who was staring at her in shock and wonder. Around her, people were screaming, jumping from their seats and trying to get out. Relena picked herself up from the stage and ran, her skirts bunched up in her hand. She looked through the crowd, trying to find the man dressed in the OZ uniform. But he was gone. Cursing silently, she knew she'd have to chase after him. Relena dashed across the stage.

"Miss Relena!" Sandy called, but Relena ignored her. She jumped from the stage and landed somewhat gracefully on the balls of her feet, still wearing her high heels. She sprinted as much as her outfit would allow.

"Relena!" A male voice called. Timothy. Relena ignored him as well. She had to find the man. Pushing through the crowd, she reached the spot where she'd seen him. Sure enough, there was a door hidden behind the curtain. She shoved the door open with her shoulder, barely slowing her pace, and stepped into the darkened hallway.

There he was, running down the hall, his military boots clacking against the cement floor. Relena raised her gun and aimed. The man threw a look over his shoulder, saw her, and stumbled.

"No!" he cried, but Relena pulled the trigger. Fire spurted from the barrel and the bullet went sailing down the hall, finding its mark in the shoulder of the man. He grunted loudly, and Relena lowered her arms as he fell to the ground. Relena's breath stopped in her throat.

Standing at the end of the hall, gun raised, face frozen in a look of shock, was Heero Yuy.

* * *

Relena was surrounded suddenly by men, undercover Preventer agents in tuxedos and uniformed Preventer agents in the trademark brown. Her mouth hung open, still surprised. Slowly, she moved to tuck her gun back into the holster sewed into her dress.

"Miss Relena, please come with me." A young agent stood at her side, a hand resting lightly on her arm. She looked at him, but her eyes and mind barely registered what was happening. The agent took her by the arm, firmly this time, and led her away through the swarm of Preventers. Her mind was racing, completely surprised. Heero Yuy. What had he been doing there?

Soon, Relena was standing in the chill of the December night. The air kissed her bare skin, sending goosebumps up and down her arms and shoulders. The pressure on her arm disappeared, and Relena looked around. The guests had been evacuated, and they were all standing together in huddles, trying to keep warm. The condensation from their breath rose up in the air as white fog as they shuddered and spoke of the warm ballroom and a cup of coffee.

"Relena!" Her heart was still hammering in her chest, and it beat harder as her fiance jogged up to her. He quickly slipped out of his tuxedo jacket and threw it around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest.

"Timothy…" Relena mumbled.

"Darling, what on earth were you doing?" he asked her, sounding both terrified and frustrated. Relena lifted her blue eyes to his hazel ones.

"I went after the man who tried to assassinate the President," she said. Her voice was low and wistful. Timothy gave her a gentle shake on the shoulders, trying to snap her out of her trance.

Sound suddenly crashed onto her ear drums. Her mind cleared, and she was aware of the cold of the night, the loud conversations happening around her, and the sirens of police vehicles. "There you are," Timothy said fondly, his hand reaching up to her face and caressing her skin. Relena blinked once and let out a long breath. "You know, if you wanted to become a Preventer, you could just ask Colonel Une," Timothy said, laughing a bit. "But you're the Foreign Minister and a future Princess of England. You don't need to worry about chasing after men with guns."

Relena tilted her head slightly and frowned. It wasn't the first time Timothy had spoken this patronizing speech. But he did not, could not, understand what Relena went through during the war. He didn't understand her compulsive need to protect herself at all costs, not to mention her desire to protect others as well.

"I'm fine, Timothy," Relena said, tightening the tuxedo jacket around her shoulders. "I just knew no one else saw him. The president's life was at stake." Timothy opened his mouth to rebuke her, but to Relena's relief, Colonel Une arrived, trotting through the crowd towards Relena. Once at Relena's side, the Colonel stopped, bowed slightly and smiled. The stress of the job had caused the Colonel to age considerably over the last several years, with deep frown lines etched around her mouth, and wrinkles around her eyes from squinting and throwing angry looks at people. Not to mention the stress of raising a willful child such as Mariemaia. A gray streak of hair already framed Une's face. But she still carried the power and authority that she always had.

"May I request your presence for a moment, Miss Relena?" she asked, all formality in front of Timothy.

"Of course," Relena said. She kissed Timothy on the cheek, backed out of his grasp and walked away from him with Une at her side. After they'd moved a considerable distance from Timothy and the guests, Une linked her arm through Relena's and guided her away towards a waiting car. The exhaust from the tailpipe drifted lazily up into the air, the same color as the steam rising from the mouths of the guests. Une opened the door for Relena, and the two women slipped inside the warmth.

"What the hell happened?" Une asked, turning slightly towards Relena, who mimed the movement.

"I saw him hiding in the curtain, and I saw him aim at the President. I did what I had to do," Relena said. Une chuckled.

"Of course you did," the older woman said. Relena quickly recapped her chase down the secret hall, shooting the man in the shoulder, and seeing a face that Relena had thought was merely a ghost.

"Une…" Relena leaned forward slightly, crossing her arms over her knees. "I have to ask you something."

"Of course."

"What was Heero Yuy doing in the theatre?" Relena asked, his name rolling off her tongue awkward and unsteadily. It had been years since she'd last spoken his name out loud. Une's eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

"I don't know, Relena," she said. "His last mission was in Japan, so I have no idea what he's doing back here already…" The look on Une's face told Relena that she knew just what Relena was feeling.

The women fell into an uneasy silence. Relena laced her fingers together, but twisted them anxiously. Inside her chest, her heart continued to beat unrelentingly against her rib cage. She supposed it might be adrenaline, but the feeling was old and slightly familiar. Like the feeling she used to have whenever he showed up out of the blue…

Une laid a hand on Relena's shoulder. "We'll get this all sorted out, Relena. Perhaps Wufei called him in for extra security for the evening or-"

Une was cut off by a tapping on the window. The two women turned their attention towards the sound, and spotted Wufei Chang. Une opened the door and they both slid out of the car, Relena trying not to tip over as her skirts got tangled up around her legs. Wufei offered a steadying hand to her while she rearranged her gown. "Thank you," she murmured to him, and received a nod in response. Relena scanned the lingering people outside of the theatre. Not too far away, she saw Heero again, standing beside another Preventer agent and speaking in low tones. She looked away quickly.

"We have escorted everyone into the ballroom, the shooter has been arrested and is receiving medical attention for the bullet wound. He's obviously an ametaur, because he's already babbling his story," Wufei informed them. Une crossed her arms over her chest.

"Did someone put him up to it?" she asked.

"That's what it sounds like." The three frowned, knowing the implications of such an attack. Would there be another attack? And who was the stronger one hiding in the shadows?

"Relena!" Timothy was striding towards her once again, looking a little chillier without his coat, which was still wrapped around Relena's shoulders. "They're all waiting for you inside," he said with a smile when he arrived at their little circle. Relena nodded, and glanced at Une and Wufei.

"Excuse me, please," she said, slipped her arm through Timothy's, and allowed herself to be led towards the door to the ballroom.

As she walked away, she heard Wufei whisper urgently to Colonel Une, "What the heck is Yuy doing here?"

* * *

Relena's Glam Squad


	3. No More Girl Talk

**The Edge of Oblivion**

**Chapter Two: No More Girl Talk**

**by Relena's Glam Squad**

* * *

**January 1, A.C. 208**

The glowing face of Colonel Une's desk phone told her that the time was already 3:46 in the morning on January 1, A.C. 208. Her office was mostly dark, save for one lamp that had been turned on at some point during the evening. Chicken scratch notes littered her desk; witnesses to an event were always eager to make sure their part of the story was heard.

Une stood on her side of her desk, her palms flat on the smooth wood, her body leaning forward slightly. She was trying to stay awake. On the other side of the desk stood Special Agent Heero Yuy, dressed in his Preventer uniform, one hand casually resting on his hip while the other hung at his side.

"The mission took no time," Heero was explaining. "Evidence that we had gathered proved to be false, and the uprising was much smaller than we had anticipated."

"So you came back here without any communication?" Une asked, but Heero only shrugged. Une's eyes narrowed. "Did you know about this assassin?" Heero blinked at her, his face remaining stoney.

"I may have heard some chatter about it," he admitted, though no guilt passed over his face.

"And you informed no one, because…?"

"If everyone knew, the shooter wouldn't have shown up. And we'd have zero leads to the leader of this little fire," Heero said, using the Preventer code word for uprisings. "Instead, the shooter was apprehended." Une saw a strange look cross his face quickly, then disappear. Her lip twitched as she tried to keep herself from smiling.

"Did you anticipate Relena acting as she did?" Une asked. Heero's chin tilted up slightly.

"I have heard about her advanced personal protection skills from Maxwell," Heero muttered, knowing he'd been caught. Une raised her eyebrow. "Though I did not expect that she would actually shoot him."

"Interesting." Une stood up straight and rolled her shoulders back, trying to loosen the tension that had been building there since the gun fired in the theatre.

"We should take precautions for the important members of the ESUN government," Heero said. Une wanted to laugh at his obvious intentions, but knew that would be inappropriate. Relena's safety, of course, was not a laughing matter.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Personal details for the important members, most likely to be targeted by this group. Naturally the higher ranking Preventer agents should be assigned to the highest government officials, such as the President and Vice President…"

"And the Foreign Minister?" Une added.

"Foreign Minister Darlian should have a personal detail as well, yes," Heero said. Une was slightly enjoying the struggle she could see in Heero's eyes.

"Well, I agree, Agent Yuy. Perhaps you could give me some recommendations for the protection of these government officials, after, of course, you submit your paperwork for the mission you have just arrived from. We must follow procedure, after all," Une said. Heero nodded curtly.

"Understood."

* * *

The phone in his pocket was ringing. Heero reached in and drew it out, holding the mobile device in his hand, staring down in disbelief.

Who could be calling him? No one had this number.

Heero had discarded his last phone after leaving Asia, replacing it with one of his vast collection of vintage phones that he reprogrammed with a new SIM card. The beat-up old flip phone wasn't by any means flashy, but served its purpose. The older phones were harder to trace, and switching out the hardware and software each time each time he moved locations was key to his anonymity.

Heero Yuy liked things this way.

Which is why this unknown caller flashing on his screen was troubling. Heero had hoped he'd left most of his troubles behind in Asia. He'd stayed there long enough, refusing to leave until he was guaranteed that if he returned to her side, they wouldn't harm her. It had taken him years to extract that promise. Something sinister was afoot, and he couldn't stop the cogs at work, much as he tried. All he could do now was his utmost to shield her from what was coming.

But all of that hinged upon his keeping his identity, and his whereabouts, a secret. Coming back to the Preventers, taking on a high-profile case wasn't the best way to do it, but his hands were tied.

Heero let the call drop, deciding that he would take advantage of being in Preventer HQ by running an analysis through their database. Yes, even unknown calls could be traced.

Halfway down the hall from Une's office, Heero pivoted on his heel.

"Une." He rapped on the former colonel's door. It creaked open after a beat, and Une opened it wider.

"Yes, Heero."

"Can I use your computer?"

* * *

**January 3, A.C. 208**

Relena did her best to stay out of the way while the incident was investigated. Naturally, she gave her official statement to Wufei the next morning, as he was in charge of the investigation. Afterwards, Relena melted into the shadows, staying in her office and her home, and avoiding the public eye. She already knew what they were saying about her; the pacifist princess guns down assassin at the ESUN New Years Eve ball. The headline was spun both ways, both as praise and as criticism. Even Colonel Une had advised Relena to stay indoors.

She wasn't feeling up to company, so it was lucky that Timothy was called back to England by his mother, while Relena remained in Brussels for work. Une wanted her closer to the Preventer HQ in the event something else happened. Sandy had tried to engage Relena in conversation, but the young vice foreign minister soon quit and wrote it off as shock from the event at the New Years Eve Ball.

As she sat at her desk in her office, her mind continued to replay that moment... The assassin falling forward, and seeing Heero standing at the other end of the hallway, poised to shoot, as she had seen him so many times. Relena tried to think back to the last time she saw Heero, and estimated it to be sometime after her eighteenth birthday, in A.C. 198.

Ten years.

Ten years since she'd last seen his face. And it took four years for her to stop wondering when he would return, or when she would see him again, or what he was doing. And another year after that to stop herself from thinking about him. But she knew she had moved on now. She was happy with Timothy, and she was finally planning her wedding, with the help of her wedding planners, of course. Her job was going well. Nothing could be more perfect.

"So why did he have to show up out of nowhere?" Relena asked herself aloud.

Sandy, who had been reading some documents a few feet away, looked up at her superior.

"What was that, Miss Relena?" the young woman asked. Relena shook her head.

"Nothing."

Sandy watched Relena for a moment longer, but when Relena refused to make eye contact, Sandy went back to her documents. Relena stared down at her desk, the printed words on the documents in front of her blurring into a black and white mess. There was no way she was going to be able to concentrate on work. There were still too many unanswered questions, and the worst had to be the issue of Heero Yuy. Relena considered calling Une or Wufei to get an update on the investigation, but before she could lift her hand to do so, her vid phone chirped at her, indicating an incoming call from Colonel Une. Relena quickly answered it and waited a moment while the connection was established, and Une's face came into focus on the screen.

"Good afternoon, Miss Relena," Une said, a slight smile on her face.

"Colonel. Can I help you with something?" Relena asked. Sandy had looked up from her documents, interested.

"I was hoping you and Miss Waters be available for a meeting with me and a few Preventer agents this afternoon," Une said. Relena, as she watched Une's face, could not stop the impression that Une was terribly amused about something.

"Oh, of course. We are not busy now," Relena said, her hand gripping the edge of her desk tightly. Something in the pit of her stomach told her that Heero would be at this meeting. Perhaps that was why Une looked so amused.

"Wonderful. We will be over shortly," Une said, smiled, and cut the connection. Relena sat back down into her chair and leaned back. She laced her fingers together and squeezed, trying to get a hold of herself.

"What is it, Miss Relena?" Sandy asked, crossing the room and taking a seat in one of the leather chairs on the opposite side of Relena's desk.

"We are meeting with Une," Relena said, glancing up, molding her face into a passive expression. "I imagine it has something to do with our security." Sandy grimaced.

"Bodyguards?"

"Likely."

"Well, so much for girl-talk," Sandy sighed, flopping back into the chair and crossing her arms over her chest. Relena chuckled and shook her head.

"Whoever they are," Relena said with a wink, "I'm sure they won't mind us having our girl-talk."

* * *

Relena stepped into the conference room down the hall from her office, Sandy close behind. Her fear was confirmed; Heero Yuy stood against the wall, arms crossed, head lowered. Une had already taken a seat at the table and spread several packets of paper out in front of her. And sitting at the table beside her was…

"Duo!" Relena cried, hurrying into the room. The former Deathscythe pilot was sitting in one of the plush chairs, his feet kicked up on the table. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, his Preventer jacket slung haphazardly over the back of the chair. And of course, his braid was longer than the last time Relena had seen him. The memory from about two months ago came back her, when they'd bet to see who could grow their hair the longest and fastest, and she immediately regretted her recent trim. Looks like she would owe him dinner. Duo jumped from his chair.

"Princess!" Duo crossed the room to her and swept her up into a hug, spinning her around once before setting her back on her feet. Relena laughed and gave him another squeeze around the neck before stepping back. In her peripheral vision, she noticed that Heero had looked up, and was watching them, a scowl on his face.

"It is so good to see you, Duo!" Relena said, turning her full attention to Duo. She saw now, close up, that Duo had scruff on his chin and cheeks. He was such a contrast to Heero, who was clean shaven, and dressed in his full Preventer uniform. Some things never changed, Relena supposed.

"You look lovely as ever," he said with a cheeky grin. Relena blushed and turned her head, but she was grinning as well. Une rose up from the table, feeling she had given them enough time.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Relena, Miss Sandy," Une said, nodding to each of them in turn.

Relena and Sandy sat down beside Duo, while Heero stepped away from the wall and took a seat on the other side of the table. Relena couldn't help it; she glanced up at Heero, and found his dark blue eyes staring at her. Relena's heart jolted, and she looked away quickly towards Une. Her throat tightened, her hands shaking. Desperately, she hoped Une would not ask any direct questions.

"I am sure you guessed as to what this meeting is about," Une began. "After the incident at the New Years Eve ball, and the subsequent investigation, it has been determined that once again, bodyguards are necessary for certain members of the ESUN government. Being that you have a long history with politics and the previous wars, and your current status as fiancee to the Prince of England..."

At that, Relena's hands clenched together in her lap, and she kept her eyes locked on Une. Even so, she could feel Heero's gaze, the familiar feeling returning as if it had never left.

"It has been determined that you should have guards with you," Une finished.

Relena nodded, trying to keep her composure together, but under Heero's steady gaze, she felt the edges of her psyche fray and begin to unravel. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going to cry. She thought she could handle this confrontation. After all, she was happy with her life. Why should his sudden reappearance bring back those teenaged, hormonally-charged feelings?

Une continued as if Relena were not having a vicious internal war with herself. "Based on the recommendations of internal Preventer agents, I have assigned Agent Heero Yuy and Agent Duo Maxwell to your person detail. Their schedule will be arranged when you may have one or both of them with you at all times, except in the case of the evenings. During those times, your home will be under video surveillance, again."

Relena forced another nod.

"Miss Sandy, your home will be outfitted with surveillance equipment as well," Une added. "I have not yet assigned someone to be your detail when you are traveling without Miss Relena."

Relena sensed Sandy shift in her seat, knowing the young woman was uncomfortable with this idea. She'd get used to it.

"Of course, Colonel," Sandy said.

Une smiled, sliding one packet of paper to each of the people at the table, then tossed out a handful of pens. "Please take a moment to read and sign this contract. If you have any questions, please ask."

The room fell silent while the four of them read the contract. Relena used her speed skimming skill to read through the contract quickly, then signed her name on the last page, above where Une had already signed. Sandy was done not too long after her, and slowly, Duo and Heero finished and signed their names.

Une was busy on her tablet, which caused an awkward silence to descend on the room. Relena did not want to look up from her hands, and Sandy was twisting her chair back and forth.

"So how is this prince guy?" Duo asked, turning towards Relena, who squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She wanted a break in the awkwardness, but not about this.

"He is fine," Relena said, lifting her gaze to Duo and smiling.

"That's just crazy that you're marrying him, I mean, you'll probably be the Queen of England one day," Duo mused. Relena chuckled, but before she could speak again, Heero chimed in.

"She was already Queen of the Earth. What's England compared to that?" he said, his voice gruff and sounding annoyed. All eyes went to Heero, but he did not meet anyone's gaze. He continued to scowl down at the papers in front of him.

"I suppose that's true," Duo said, stretching his arms above his head. He turned towards Relena and rolled his eyes in the direction of Heero. Relena shrugged. "Anyway, you better invite me to the wedding. I promise I'll behave."

"Duo, don't make promises you can't keep," Une said, but with a smile. She rose from the chair and began to collect the contracts.

"Aw come on Colonel," Duo mumbled. "Quit ratting me out!" Une laughed and stacked the contracts together and tapped them into perfect alignment.

"Your detail begins tomorrow," Une said to Relena and Sandy as she packed up her belongings. "So enjoy your last night of privacy." Relena held back a laugh at Une's sarcastic tone, but the intent went over Sandy's head.

"Is someone going to watch me sleep?!" she nearly shrieked. Relena rose and took Sandy by the arm to lead her from the room.

"Of course not," Relena soothed. The others began to follow her from the room until one voice called her back.

"Relena."

Nothing had changed about the way he spoke her name. It still sounded gruff and desperate. Relena turned slowly, releasing Sandy and met his eyes. Faster than she thought possible, Une and Duo disappeared from the room and shut the door. Relena took a deep, slow breath and released it, calming herself as if she were preparing to go up against an opponent.

"Heero," she said to him, dipping her head in acknowledgement. "It has been a while."

He took a step closer to her and lifted his chin up slightly. It wasn't necessary, however, as he'd grown a great deal taller than herself in the last several years. It was a gesture that Relena saw often in men who wanted to somehow place dominance over her.

"Don't talk to me like that, Relena," he said. "We've known each other too long." Relena arched her eyebrow.

"I suppose thirteen years is a long time, Heero," she said, clasping her hands behind her back and side stepping him, forcing him to turn around to keep her in his gaze. "Although I'm not sure that ten of those count."

His eye twitched. A soft spot.

"You wouldn't understand what I was going through," Heero said. Relena tilted her head to the side.

"Of anyone, aside from the other pilots, I would be the one who would understand you," Relena replied. "And I did try…"

"This is not why I called you back," Heero said, catching on to her game and moving around her, forcing her to turn. "I wanted to see how you were doing." He paused, staring her down, and Relena felt her resolve weaken. "I can see that you are perfectly fine, though." He lowered his eyes, and he looked… sad.

That did it. Relena's hand lifted to her chest and she balled it into a fist, her personal tell that she was uncomfortable or scared. She'd learned to control it, but around Heero, she'd forgotten all she learned, and she was back to the age of sixteen, watching him walk away from her after he'd pulled her in for their first, rough kiss.

Heero took another step forward and placed his hand over the one that was balled at her chest. He looked down at her, his face softening.

"I don't want it to be awkward for you, or me, being on your security detail," he said, his voice near a whisper. "I know that I have been a terrible friend to you, but at least give me time to tell you what I've been doing, and what I've learned about myself. Let me make it up to you, Relena."

He was so close that Relena could smell his aftershave. Her heart hammered in her chest, and his hand tightened against her fist, and she noticed the calluses pressing against her softer skin. Her eyes refused to break from his.

"Of course," she finally said.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Heero's mouth, and he released her hand. Relena took an unsteady step back and turned back towards the door. She laid her hand on the doorknob and turned it. She had managed to make it through her initial confrontation with him without completely coming undone.

Feeling her confidence swell back up inside of her, she took a chance. Before stepping into the hall, Relena threw a look over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow."

* * *

Heero stayed behind and watched Relena saunter out of the room to catch up with the others. He felt all twisted up in knots, seeing her again. But he was doing what was necessary to keep her safe. At least that's what he told himself.

As he gathered up his few belongings and left the room, Heero thought of her side of things, how her feelings toward him may have changed over the course of ten years. He'd expected her to be furious with him, but she seemed as understanding as ever. That compassion of hers; it was an admirable strength, to be sure. Heero wondered why she didn't just call him scum, kick him to the ground and spit on him, but he appreciated the chance to prove himself to her once more. Even if the circumstances were far from ideal.

He'd wanted to stay silent when he saw her, struggling against an urge to tell her everything. He'd have to be careful; there was still a lot that she couldn't know.

She couldn't know that every minute he stayed in her presence, stepping out from the shadows to protect her publicly, he wasn't just fighting for her life.

He was fighting for his.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all the readers and reviewers!

-Relena's Glam Squad


	4. Yuy's Intrusion

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter Three: Yuy's Intrusion

* * *

**January 4, A.C. 208  
****Early Morning**

During the limo ride to work, Relena fidgeted with her cell phone. It was early in the morning, but she knew Timothy would answer her call. She had spent the entire night debating about whether or not she should tell him that her former crush was now working on her security detail. She told herself over and over that it was a long time ago, and that she had been over Heero before she ever met Timothy. "So perhaps," she said to herself as she tucked her phone away in her purse, "he does not need to know."

When Relena arrived at the Foreign Minister suite, she found Heero and Duo sitting in the waiting room. Sandy's office door was already open, meaning she'd arrived early. The administrative assistant greeted Relena from her desk, then gestured towards Duo and Heero.

"I don't know why they're here. They were here before I even got here," she said quietly. Relena smiled.

"Bodyguards," Relena said. The girl looked suddenly very interested and craned her neck around Relena to get another look at the two men. Relena saw Duo wink at the assistant, making Relena roll her eyes as she stepped into her office. She crossed the room to her desk, and heard Heero and Duo enter the office behind her.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Relena said as she tossed her bags onto the side of her desk. They crossed and stopped in front of her desk. Duo was looking a little more put together that morning, and was wearing his proper Preventer uniform.

"Morning, Princess," Duo said with a grin. He took a seat in the chair across from her desk. Heero remained standing.

"We'd like to go over your schedule with you so that Duo and I can plan ahead for our shifts," Heero said, very formally. Relena bit back a smile and sat down in her chair.

"Of course," she said. After turning on her computer, she printed off a copy of her calendar for the year and placed the pages on the desk in front of him. "You've chosen a nice time to become my security detail, as we are about to get very busy. This week we will be here, but this weekend, I shall be receiving a visit from Timothy, and we're going north to one of his family's estates on the ocean. The following Monday, my tour of the colonies will begin. So I hope you will all be ready!" Relena laced her fingers together and leaned back in her chair. Duo looked exhausted just from looking at her schedule.

"Why hasn't the government just cloned you yet?" Duo asked, pushing the printed calendar towards Heero. Relena chuckled and shook her head.

Heero bent over the printout, thumbing through the pages as if in deep concentration.

He glanced up at Relena for a quick second before his eyes flitted back down to the printed pages. In that quick instant, she thought she'd detected a worried expression.

"Heero?" she asked simply.

"Hn." He didn't look up.

Duo nudged him. "Yo. We're talkin' to you."

Heero raised his eyes to Relena's before angling his head to look out the nearest window. She followed his gaze to see a blackbird perched on a nearby tree, the serene nature scene perfectly framed by the ornate window trappings.

The way his jaw was clenched, his brows knitting together troubled Relena. She knew something must be terribly wrong, but for some reason, he didn't want to say anything.

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "What is it, Heero?"

He snapped his attention to Relena, facing her dead on so quickly that she almost felt whiplashed, just watching him.

"You're spending eight weeks touring the colonies."

Naturally, he'd dodged the question.

Relena just nodded in response to his statement. Heero said nothing in reply, just screwed his brows together again.

"So?" Duo looked at his friend quizzically. "What's the problem?"

Heero shrugged without breaking eye contact with Relena. "That's a long trip."

She shrugged, too. "It is. But I've spent longer periods of time there, in the past. This isn't really anything out of the ordinary." She clasped her hands together on her desk, leaning forward so that her face was just a little closer to Heero, who was still leaning over her. "Is there a problem with that?" She tipped her chin in slight defiance.

His gaze, unwavering, remained fix on her. Relena did her best to match his steady gaze with one of her own. Just like looking up the barrel of his gun- cold, hard steel. She would not falter; not with him. Not now.

At last, he broke eye contact, shaking his head. "No…" he said slowly, backing away from her desk. "There's no problem."

Still, Relena sensed that this - whatever "this" was - wasn't over. She sighed, looking back over the documents that littered her desk.

"Well, if you gentlemen don't mind…" She gestured at her computer. "I've got a mountain of paperwork to tackle and a ridiculous amount of email to respond to, so…"

"We'll let you get to it." Duo swept to his feet, but not before flashing Relena a grin. "But we'll be right outside if you need anything- just holler, little lady. Right, Heero?"

Heero planted himself in Duo's unoccupied chair, rummaging through a rucksack he'd brought with him. Relena couldn't help but smile at him privately as his head was bent low, noting that he still carried a backpack in place of a briefcase, taking in the slightly rumpled dress shirt peeking out from under his Preventer's jacket, the first few buttons undone, secretly delighting in his oh-so-perfectly tousled dark hair…

Unconsciously, Relena leaned her cheek into her right palm, her elbow on the desk.

Heero pulled a laptop out of his bag and booted it up, resting it on the edge of Relena's desk, which was relatively clutter-free.

"Heero?" Duo questioned, somewhat uselessly.

"Hn?" Heero didn't bother looking up at his partner.

Duo sighed loudly. "You, me- outside. Now?"

Heero just shot him an annoyed expression. "Not now. I'm busy."

Duo looked to Relena for help. That's when she realized he'd caught her staring at Heero. She immediately straightened up and shifted her attention to her computer screen, her cheeks flaming as Duo beamed a naughty grin over Heero's head.

Heero was, of course, oblivious.

"Ohhh…" Duo shook his head. "I get it. Same as ever, you two." He laughed, spreading his hands.

Sandy glanced up from her desk, frowning. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Duo spun around toward her. "These two just want to be alone in their quiet, weird little world, that's all. Maybe you and I should go for a walk or something." Duo grinned at the younger Vice Minister, who blushed.

"Sorry, I've got too much work to do." She pointed at Duo's hand awkwardly. "And anyway, aren't you married?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Duo rapidly waved his hands. "I didn't mean it like that." He glared over at Heero. "See how much trouble your cavalier ways get me into, buddy boy?"

Heero was typing furiously. "Why don't you go find something to do." It was a command, not a suggestion.

Duo turned back toward Sandy, jerking a thumb toward Relena's desk. "See what I mean? These two…"

Sandy arched her perfectly groomed brows upward, then quickly schooled her features when Relena looked up at her. The Foreign Minister almost smiled at the shock scrawled across her younger colleague's face. Sandy had never seen the Foreign Minister with anyone other than the prince, Relena realized. And while she didn't want to start a scandal, she couldn't help but play along with Duo. Back to his old tricks, she thought slyly.

"Sandy, why don't you go show Duo the cafeteria?" Relena said sweetly. "I'm sure he's hungry."

Sandy glanced up at the clock. "It's only a quarter after nine…"

"I could eat," Duo announced, rubbing his stomach.

Sandy shuffled her paperwork and stood slowly, casting a questioning glance at Relena. "Um, all right…"

Duo winked at Relena before bounding out of the room. Sandy reluctantly followed him, mouthing something at Relena on the way out that looked like, "Girl talk?"

Relena smiled and bobbed her head up and down, mouthing, "Later."

She looked away from Sandy to see that Heero was staring straight at her. As soon as their eyes met, he quickly looked away.

Fire crept back into her cheeks. Had he been stealing glances? She couldn't help but wonder if there had been any affection in his eyes, although she knew she was being silly.

Relena sat there pretending to type something for a few minutes, then gave up and looked up at Heero again. His fingers were still moving fast, his eyes racing over his screen.

She cleared her throat delicately. "What are you working on?"

Heero frowned. "Just seeing if we can move your schedule around at all."

Now it was her turn to frown. "Why, what's wrong?"

Heero's fingers kept clack-clacking away. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Relena scoffed, almost laughing incredulously. "Heero, it's my schedule, and my job. Why shouldn't I know about it?"

"Because," Heero's tone was annoyed, "if there's something I need you to know, you'll know about it. Are we clear?" He glared at her over his laptop, daring her to say "no."

Relena relented with a sigh. "Fine." She attempted to turn her attention back to her computer, but as soon as Heero was looking down again, she glanced back up. She could see right through that gruff demeanor. Sure, it had been ten long years… but she knew him well before then. Knew him better than anyone. She knew enough to understand that whatever was bothering him ran deep, and that any roughness he displayed was all in an effort to protect her.

After all, she'd had the privilege to see him behind closed doors, in a much different capacity. And in their fumbled teenage attempts to create intimacy through physical closeness, that single-minded protectiveness of his still shone through. It made it difficult for her to know, at times, if he'd ever wanted to love her, or just take care of her. Or perhaps let her take care of him.

Such a short time they'd spent together, spanning just a few years but likely adding up to a handful of hours, Relena realized sadly. Maybe not even twenty-four of them, all together. No wonder she'd never felt like she had quite gotten to know him at his core. He had let her in, but only so far.

She, on the other hand, had given him everything. At that tender and vulnerable age, full of hope and bursting with emotions, she'd seen no need to hold back with him. She'd lived through a war; she'd lost people dear to her. Live in the present; that's what she thought. She thought he'd felt the same way, until one day, he just left.

A chill raced down Relena's spine; she shuddered. It was unnerving, sitting here with him so close. The palpable attraction to him couldn't be ignored; it clung to the air, static all around her. But with it came a rush of memories - his warm breath, rough hands, earnest glances - that made her heart quiver yet filled her mouth with a bitter taste. She bit her lower lip, remembering exactly how his tasted.

Air. She needed air.

Relena leapt up from her desk and went over to the window, attempting to wrestle it open. It was an old building and simply jarring the window open was no easy task.

"What are you doing?" came Heero's voice from behind her.

"J-just getting some air," she answered, frustrated.

And then she felt him right there, his face nearly brushing hers as he leaned over her shoulder, strong arms darting past hers. As soon as he'd opened it, he stepped back.

Relena straightened herself, smoothing her hair unnessarily; he hadn't even touched her, but it sure felt as though he had. He'd been that close.

"Thank you," she murmured, wandering back to her desk uselessly.

Heero said nothing as he shuffled back to his seat and the corner of her desk he'd commandeered.

Relena attempted to concentrate this time, all the while pondering why her former flame seemed to have no trouble at all occupying the same space as her. As if he'd never left.

Her thoughts drifted back to last night, when he'd stood just inches away from her, closing his hand over the one she'd clasped to her chest. The touch of his hand, so close to her heart.

"I don't want it to be awkward for you… I know I've been a terrible friend to you… Let me make it up to you, Relena."

Peering at Heero over her computer, Relena wondered how, exactly, he planned on doing that.

* * *

Sandy led Duo down the hallway to the nearest elevator, listening to him chatter as they made their descent to the office building's ground level, where the cafeteria was located.

Her mind raced as she nodded and smiled and pretended to absorb his rapid-fire banter, all the while wondering what was going on with the Foreign Minister- and her new handsome, mysterious bodyguard.

She didn't think for a second that Relena would cheat on Timothy, despite the strong impression that something was going on between the Foreign Minister and the Preventer. But what?

Sandy led Duo into the expansive cafeteria, gesturing widely. "We have pretty much everything you could want down here. What's your fancy?"

Duo's eyes lit up like a child's in a candy store. He immediately raced over to a table boasting platters piled high with assorted breakfast pastries and eagerly filled up a plate. Sandy couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

Duo pointed to a danish. "Want one?"

Sandy shrugged. "Sure. Might as well eat breakfast while I'm down here. Coffee?" She headed over to a state of the art espresso machine.

"Of course. You gotta eat breakfast." Duo grabbed a few oranges from another table. "Don't get into the same bad habits as Relena. Whenever I see her I'm tempted to force-feed her…"

The Vice Foreign Minister sighed as she topped off the first coffee mug, then proceeded to fill another. "It's a tough habit to break, skipping meals. There's just not enough time in a day. And with all the stress Relena's always under, it's no wonder she's gotten so thin."

"Yeah, she's like, half a person," Duo mused. "And she was tiny to begin with! But it's annoying getting her to eat real food. She won't touch anything normal… like meat, or pizza. Eating out with her is a pain." The long-haired Preventer pulled a face.

Sandy laughed, not wanting to poke fun at her superior, but knowing exactly what Duo was talking about.

"Relena and I almost always do salad dates for lunch," Sandy shared. "She's always saying how much she hates salad, but she eats it every day, anyway."

"Have you seen those green drinks of hers?" Duo plugged his nose. "Awful."

Sandy giggled again before turning serious. "Speaking of Relena…" She gave her bodyguard a shrewd look. "What's going on with her and Heero?"

"Hmf-ow?" Duo had a piece of donut hanging out of his mouth.

"Beg your pardon?" Sandy quirked an eyebrow.

He swallowed before answering. "Who knows?"

The Vice Foreign Minister frowned down at her coffee cup. "Well, you seem to know something…"

"Nah. I'll never tell!" Duo winked before attacking another pastry.

"Seriously? You were obviously conspiring to leave them alone, for some reason that you won't even tell me." Sandy attempted a pout.

Duo sighed dramatically, sending his bangs flying skyward. "All right, all right; you twisted my arm."

"That was easy," Sandy joked.

"Oh, yeah? Then forget it, little lady- I'm not telling you nothing." Duo stuck out his tongue.

"No way, you already promised." Sandy wagged a finger at him. "Besides, it's my office, too; I have a right to know why I'm being kicked out of it."

"You sound just like Relena," Duo complained. "Super-whiny… but persuasive."

"Um, thank you?" Sandy decided she'd take that as a compliment. "Anyway. Why all the secrecy?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Duo rolled his eyes.

Sandy frowned, lacing her fingers together. "Obvious that they're somehow… involved? Because yeah, I kind of gathered…"

"Not just that." Duo spread his palms. "They're soulmates."

Sandy nearly spit out the coffee she'd just sipped, stopping herself just in time. "W-what?"

"You know, soulmates? Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers, fairytale kind of stuff? Yeah. That's them."

"I know what soulmates are." Silly, she wanted to add. "And Relena already has one. A real-life fairytale one- her own prince, with a castle and everything."

"Sure, she has Prince Charming, now," Duo amended. "But she and Heero go back way before that."

Sandy's brow crinkled. "Funny, she's never mentioned him…"

"Doesn't want to." Duo shrugged. "She's still pissed at him for leaving, I guess."

"And when was that?"

"Oh, about ten years ago…"

Sandy's eyes bulged. "That long ago? But… Relena's not that old."

"Nope."

"So they were childhood sweethearts, or what?"

"Yep." Duo nodded. "They met when they were fourteen, fifteen? Something like that. During the Eve Wars. We were all just a bunch of kids..." Duo's expression turned wistful.

"Wow…" Sandy could hardly believe what she was hearing. "So that's Relena's first love up there?"

Duo snorted. "I would assume he was her first, yeah…"

Sandy flushed. "And he's back as her bodyguard..."

"Yep."

"And… you think leaving them alone is a good idea?"

Duo waggled his eyebrows and whistled a little tune.

Sandy's face colored. She looked down at the danish on her plate, felt her stomach churn angrily, and decided she wasn't very hungry, after all.

"Maybe we should go…" she started.

"And break up their beautiful reunion?" Duo chuckled. "That'd be a crying shame."

"What about breaking up Relena's engagement to a wonderful man?" Sandy spat. "Don't you think that would be a shame? Not to mention a public relations nightmare. And after what happened with the President the other day, the last thing Relena needs is bad press. A broken engagement could kill her career." She jabbed a finger at Duo's chest. "And you're supposed to be her friend! Don't you care about that? Or do you get your jollies over her and her old boyfriend hooking up?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Duo backed up. "Relax, Miss Waters. I'm just kidding around. If I know anything at all about Heero and Relena, it's that when it comes to relationships, those two move at a glacial pace. I seriously doubt anything is going to happen between them now. I just like to give them a hard time is all."

Sandy relented, letting her shoulders relax. "Sorry. I should have known. You and Relena have been friends a long time, too. I guess it's sort of an inside joke for you."

Duo snorted. "Hoo boy, if I ever joked about this for real, she'd have my head…"

"Not Relena!" Sandy gasped. "She's a diehard pacifist."

Her bodyguard just chortled. "You don't know her as well as you think…"

* * *

Sandy puzzled over this as she traipsed back to the office. She was relieved upon entering the room to find Heero and Relena sitting in total silence, both apparently hard at work on their respective computers. If it hadn't been for Duo's oversharing, she might never have noticed anything was the slightest bit amiss.

The Vice Foreign Minister sat down at her desk and immediately opened her instant messaging program. She shot a quick message to Relena.

_SandyAre we still on for lunch, as usual?_

_RelenaSure. I don't see why not _came Relena's swift response_._

_SandyGood._ Sandy frowned at her screen between keystrokes. _SandyBut will we be alone?_

Relena shot her a quizzical glance from across the room.

_RelenaDoubtful. We have to follow the new protocol. We did sign off on it..._

Sandy bit her lip. No good. She wanted to speak to Relena privately about Heero and get her perspective. It was only fair.

She braved another message and hit send.

_SandyThere's something we need to discuss in private._

Sandy glanced up in time to see Relena's brow furrow briefly.

_RelenaWhat is it?_

Sandy almost sighed audibly.

_SandyIt's about Heero._

She heard Relena's fingers furiously hitting her keyboard, and glimpsed the Foreign Minister's motions out of the corner of her eye.

_Relena typing…_ The instant messager displayed. _Relena typing…_

She was obviously backspacing over and over. Finally, she apparently gave up, and stood up from her desk.

"Excuse me for a moment," Relena said demurely.

Sandy noted the way Heero immediately rose to follow her. Relena held a hand up to him.

"I'm going to the ladies room," she murmured.

"Oh." Heero seemed to mutter something to himself, sitting back down. Duo snickered.

Relena looked at Sandy knowingly as she strode past her desk.

"Ah, me too." Sandy jumped up. "Be right back…"

Once the women had safely absconded themselves in the restroom, Relena let out a labored sigh.

"All right. What did Duo tell you?"

Sandy placed both hands on her hips. "Miss Darlian-Peacecraft…" She clucked her tongue in mock scolding. "You've been holding out on me."

Relena didn't even blink. "How so?"

"Um, how about by not telling me that you have an old boyfriend for your new bodyguard?" Sandy shook her head. "That seems like rather pertinent information."

Relena sighed and opened her mouth to answer, then clamped it shut as her friend forged ahead.

"You told me that before Timothy, you never even had a serious relationship. That you only ever went on dates here and there."

"That wasn't a lie," Relena said softly. "Timothy was - is - my first boyfriend, in the truest sense of the term."

"So Heero doesn't count?"

Relena shrugged. "We were teenagers. We never really… dated. At least, not in the typical sense."

Sandy frowned. "No? Well, how did you meet?"

"During the war. He was a mercenary who went undercover as a student in my high school. I found out his secret. So he tried to kill me."

Sandy's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean, he tried?!"

Relena just shrugged again. "He made a few attempts… aimed his gun at me and everything. But something always stopped him from pulling the trigger…"

"True love?" Sandy guessed.

Relena laughed darkly. "No, I don't think so. Just his heart. He couldn't bring himself to kill Duo, either, or a lot of other people who could have been his enemies along the way. That's the thing about Heero…" Her eyes appeared to mist over. "He seems cold, but deep down, he's kind, warm and gentle."

"I bet…" Sandy bit her lip mischievously. Relena rolled her eyes.

"I didn't mean…"

"Right. So what kept you two from.. you know. Being a real couple, or whatever? Besides his trying to kill you and all."

Relena sighed. "Commitment issues…"

"Yours, or his?"

"Heero was a soldier," Relena explained. "He was bred to fight, and for the longest time, it's all he ever knew. He never really had a real home; he barely remembers his family. Nothing in his life has ever been permanent… where he lives, his schools, his comrades... his friends."

"Wow," Sandy breathed. "That's awful."

"It is." Relena closed her eyes. "So imagine me at sixteen, trying to date someone like that. I mean… I wasn't exactly your typical teenager, either. We were both… damaged. But he had gone through so much more than me. So in a way, we had a bond, I guess." Relena's eyes opened, holding a far away expression. "But it wasn't enough to last. Plus my job made it nearly impossible to live a normal life… or something close to normal, anyway. So we had to keep our relationship under the radar, given the positions we were both in."

Sandy snickered. "Any specific positions, or was he pretty much good at all of them?"

Relena sputtered, her face turning beet red, and she turned away, trying to hide her furious blush. "Sandy!" she managed to choke out, covering her eyes with her hands.

Sandy began to laugh, the sound echoing around the bathroom. Relena pulled herself back together, and planted her hands on her hips. Sandy was doubled over, holding herself up with her hands on her knees.

"Actually, if you must know," Relena began, glaring at Sandy, "he was quite good at all of the positions."

Instead of stopping Sandy's laughter, it only served to make her laugh harder, and soon the younger girl was wheezing through her laughs. Relena scoffed, the blush still staining her pale cheeks.

"You are as bad as Duo," Relena said, flustered, and brushed past Sandy and disappeared from the bathroom.

Following behind, trying to control herself, Sandy walked out the door to follow her boss back to the office.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to the readers and reviewers!

-Relena's Glam Squad


	5. Caving In

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter Four: Caving In

by Relena's Glam Squad

* * *

**January 4, A.C. 208**

**Evening**

Relena was grateful when the clock struck five, and she noticed Sandy begin to gather up her things. The Foreign Minister had endured more than enough of Duo's innuendoes, Sandy's suggestive IMs, and Heero's deafening silence for one day.

Duo uncoiled himself from the spot he'd been occupying on a nearby chaise lounge for the past few hours, falling asleep with a pile of paperwork sprawled across him like a blanket. He rose and stretched like a cat.

"Not a bad nap!" He grinned over at his charges sheepishly. "Hey Heero, how 'bout we escort these two fine young ladies home, then hit up happy hour?"

Heero glanced up at Relena, shooting her a look that seemed layered in meaning. Relena tried quickly to decode whatever was going on behind his eyes. She knew him well enough to realize that he probably wanted to have his talk with her, as promised.

She cleared her throat. "Actually, Duo, I'm not quite finished here yet. Why don't you two go on ahead?"

Sandy gave a mock gasp. Duo grinned again, scratching the back of his head. "What, you don't want to carpool?"

Heero rolled his eyes. Relena stifled a laugh.

"Oh, well. These two are hopeless." Duo turned to Sandy. "That's cool, more room for us. Wait'll you see the sweet ride the Preventers are letting us drive this week."

A jangling sound came from Heero's direction, drawing everyone's attention to him. To Duo's dismay, the keys were dangling from his partner's hand.

"I'm taking the car," he said simply.

"No fair!" Duo groped around his pockets. "Une gave the keys to me! You thief!"

Heero chuckled darkly. "You shouldn't sleep on the job."

"Um, Heero?" Relena caught her dark-haired bodyguard's attention. "I already have a driver waiting…"

"I canceled," Heero cut in, dropping his gaze back to his laptop, not seeming to care whether Relena was pleased with this or not. What else had he been doing on there all day? She wondered. Relena gave a little harrumph, but said nothing more. He had said something about moving her schedule around. She only hoped he would be a little more courteous in giving her notice next time.

Heero seemed deeply distracted by something, so Relena decided to let it go for now, at least until she had more information.

"Fine," Duo whined from the doorway. "Leave me car-less to wander the city by my lonesome, why don't you…"

"I have a driver, too," Sandy reminded him. "He can drop me off, then you can take my car to your hotel. Ok?" The petite brunette slung her briefcase over her shoulder and headed for the door.

Duo sighed his acquiescence. "These two are incorrigible," he muttered loudly enough for Heero and Relena to hear. The braided Preventer and Vice Foreign Minister slipped out the door, but not before Sandy turned and gave Relena a little wave.

"Goodnight!" she called cheerily. Relena detected a slight cackle in the younger woman's voice.

* * *

As soon they were alone, Relena dropped the facade, powering down her computer.

"I don't have to finish this now," she explained needlessly. Once again, Heero didn't seem to care. He did likewise with his laptop and began cramming items into his backpack, then stood up quickly.

\Relena decided to cut to the chase. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

"Not here." Heero glanced around furtively. "We need to be discreet."

"Right." She nodded. "Where do you have in mind?"

* * *

Two hours later, Relena was still waiting to find out what Heero wanted to discuss, and where they were going to have said discussion. At this point they were passing the city of Namur and would soon be crossing over to France, if they kept going.

Heero cruised ahead in silence, as if he were afraid to speak, like the car was bugged. Relena couldn't help but sigh and wonder what all the fuss was about. He was being a bit paranoid, in her opinion. She just tried to sit back and enjoy the scenic drive along the Meuse River.

Her protector finally stopped the car on the outskirts of Dinant, after guiding the vehicle up a steep hill. It was sunset when they both stepped out, Heero coming around to Relena's side to open the door, taking her hand in his. She sucked in a breath.

They must have been about a hundred feet above the river. The view from the clifftop, with the golden sun hanging low over the river, setting the waters ablaze in red, orange, pink and purple, was nothing short of inspiring. Lights from the village below twinkled up at them, winking suggestively at the pair, ushering in the starlight that would soon scatter across the sky. It was a more romantic spot than the one Timothy had proposed in, Relena realized. Whatever Heero had to divulge must have been important.

"Let's walk," he said simply, keeping her hand tightly in his. "Careful," he added as he glanced over the cliff's edge. "It's steep."

"I know," Relena said softly. She felt more than a little guilty for holding hands with him, but was glad that, at least, he had taken her right hand and not her left. It would have been too bizarre to feel her princess-cut diamond pressing into his skin. Besides, she told herself, he was only touching her to keep her from falling. Or something.

They walked for several minutes in silence, their final destination still a mystery to Relena. She refrained from asking any questions, however, waiting for Heero to speak. She had learned long ago that he opened up only when he wanted to, never before; her prodding him never seemed to yield positive results.

Darkness was falling around them, and for just a moment, fear crept in. Not fear of Heero; Relena trusted him with her life, in spite of everything. She feared whatever it was he might tell her that needed to be done off the beaten path. And she feared her fiance finding out that she had ventured so far with another man.

At last, they came to a cave mouth. Relena gaped inside, casting a worried look at Heero, who was pulling a flashlight out of his bag.

"You're done trying to kill me, right?" she joked weakly.

To her surprise, Heero laughed. A deep, rumbling baritone that bounced off of the cave walls. He moved closer to Relena and stroked her cheek fondly. In the soft torchlight, Relena could see warmth glowing in his eyes.

"Relena, I think we're past that," he murmured.

"Right." She swallowed, trying not to be affected by his caress.

"I thought you'd like it here," he continued, leading them through the cave.

"It's cold," she shivered. "And creepy."

Heero just chuckled again, but slipped out of his Preventers jacket and slung it over Relena's shoulders, covering her peacoat.

"You'll freeze," she protested.

"I'm fine."

Relena didn't argue further, just enjoyed breathing in the familiar scent of his jacket. His scent. It was a heady, musky smell, a strange mixture of comfort and danger, like cinnamon and gunpowder. She'd nearly succeeded in pushing the scent from her mind and her senses, but breathing it in again brought back a flood of memories. She'd worn this jacket many times, too, more than she could count.

As they wandered through the cave, marveling at impressive stalactites, Relena murmured, "I know where we are…"

"The Grotte de Marveilleuse," Heero finished for her, deftly weaving around the sharp mineral formations dangling above them.

"Yes, I know." Relena stuck her tongue out teasingly. "It's famous. But it's closed right now; it's nighttime, not to mention off-season."

Heero shrugged. "A mere technicality. We're not in any danger."

She believed him. Sort of.

They paused near a frozen waterfall, which struck Relena as tragically beautiful. There it was, just rushing along one day, when all of a sudden it just stopped. Frozen in time. If their love had been a river, Relena thought, it would have done the same. One minute flowing freely; the next, turning to ice.

Heero motioned to a large rock that was relatively smooth. "Why don't we sit and talk." He didn't phrase it as a question, taking a seat himself. Relena looked down doubtfully.

"It looks cold, and dirty," she all but pouted, pulling Heero's jacket around her more tightly.

"You won't get dirty," Heero chuckled. "And I won't let you be cold."

He reached for her hand again and Relena took it, but this time, he pulled her down onto his lap. Relena gasped and bolted up.

"Heero! We can't…"

He looked hurt. "I'm just trying to help," he grumbled.

"This is how it starts," she lectured, waving a finger. "We have to be more careful than that."

"Then just sit on my coat or something." Annoyance seeped into his tone.

"I'll risk it," Relena sighed, sinking down beside him. She couldn't help but sound annoyed, too. She was cold and cranky, and starting to get hungry. It was well past dinnertime. "So what did you drag me all the way out here for?"

Heero regarded her incredulously. "I'd forgotten how spoiled you are."

"I'm not spoiled," Relena snapped, cringing inwardly at how whiny she sounded.

"You've always been spoiled." She could hear the affection in his gruff tone. His eyes crinkled into a smile. "I've missed you."

Relena blinked at him in disbelief.

"You don't get to tell me that now," she seethed. "I hope that's not what you brought me here to discuss, because if it is, you're more than a little too late."

Heero's gaze dropped to his feet. "It's not."

He knew he needed to choose his next words carefully. As understanding as Relena seemed to be about the situation they'd found themselves in - the situation he'd caused - he realized that the issue was still raw around the edges. There was still a myriad of unanswered questions, and a great deal of hurt between the two of them. The last thing he wanted to do was push her even further away.

He raked his fingers through his dark mop of hair, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. Could she tell?

"Relena…" he began, the way he always began.

She lifted sad blue eyes to his. Whether they were rimmed with tears or simply glimmering in the torchlight, he wasn't quite sure.

"Heero," came her soft reply.

His heartbeat quickened. Hearing her say his name… he'd missed that. Long ago, that was all they'd needed.

He was losing focus.

"You brought me all the way out here to this very remote location because you said you had something to tell me," Relena reminded him gently. "So. It's getting late and I'm freezing cold. You're going to have to tell me eventually."

"Right." Heero nodded resolutely. He could do this.

"Relena," he tried again, still struggling to find the words. He stared straight ahead at a cave wall. "There are some who say the universe is comprised entirely of digital time codes..."

Relena just gaped at him. "That's what you wanted to tell me?"

"There's more to it than that," he glowered, "if you'd let me finish."

"Sorry." Relena knew Heero would often choose an unusual turn of phrase, but this sounded like a school lecture.

He cleared his throat somewhat nervously, Relena thought, if Heero Yuy could possibly get nervous.

"There are some who believe these digital time codes hold the key to significant historical events," Heero continued. "Whether they make up equations or coordinates, similar codes can often be found weaving certain events together…"

Relena sighed, trying not to sound too impatient. "Where are you going with this?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Matrix markers," he continued unabashedly.

Relena raised an eyebrow at him. "And those are…"

"What many agree the digital codes are. They mark off particular… things."

"Right…" Relena tapped her foot, at that point trying to remain patient and keep warm.

"Like your birthday." Heero turned toward her with renewed intensity that instantly took Relena aback. She wasn't cold anymore as fire rushed up her cheeks.

"My-my birthday?" she stammered. "How?"

"Have you ever noticed how several major historical events have occurred on or around April seventh?" Heero began ticking off his fingers. "April seventh, A.C. 175: the assassination of Heero Yuy. A.C. 195: the unsuccessful launch of Operation Meteor, and the start of the Eve Wars. Same date, two years later: the terrorist attack on the Sanc Kingdom at your seventeenth birthday party…"

Relena crinkled her nose. "Yeah, of course I've noticed all that."

Heero edged just a little closer. "And didn't it make you wonder?"

She shrugged. "I chalked it up to coincidence. Or thought that maybe God was testing me. Or I was just unlucky."

Heero glowered. "There's no such thing as God. Or luck."

Relena recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "Don't say that. You know how that makes me feel." She pressed cold fingers against her temples. "I still fail to see where you're going with all this…"

"Sorry," he muttered. "I'll try to simplify. What I'm saying is, Relena…" He turned suddenly tender eyes upon her, and even in the torchlight she could make out a mixture of sincerity and… longing. She swallowed, hard.

"For some reason, you seem to be a person our entire world revolves around… Maybe the person. Theories abound that you were marked- chosen," he amended, "from birth. The instances surrounding your birthday in particular are far too astounding to be considered coincidental, as many have come to believe."

"Many?" Relena whispered, her skin prickling from either cold or fear. Or maybe both. "Who, exactly, are you talking about?"

"I'll get to that," Heero promised. "It's almost as if you were destined to be in the position you are, at the center of it all."

Relena frowned. "I thought you said there's no such thing as luck? Or should I say fate?"

"And that's true," Heero continued. "Something like this is far too important to leave up to chance. You were chosen by the elite to go through these trials."

"The elite?"

Heero dropped his voice unnessarily. "Romefeller."

Relena squirmed uneasily. "They're the elite? Really? We dealt with them a long time ago. And I never was their puppet, if that's the 'theory' people want to believe."

Heero touched her hand tenderly. "I know that," he said in his gruff, yet soft, tone. "But they did try. And that's the issue here… knowing that there is an elite, all-powerful and extremely wealthy group attempting to control the flow of money, war and politics on earth and in the colonies. I don't need to get into their sordid history; you already know."

Relena just nodded. "But why me?" she whispered.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Heero confessed. "It has everything to do with the fall of the Sanc Kingdom, and the fun the elite has with making history repeat itself. And how they enjoy picking a sacrificial lamb to exalt and publicly force to take the fall."

"Ah." Relena's face colored slightly. "Yes, I've been there." She lowered her eyes.

Heero tipped her chin up with his finger. "But you managed to thwart them," he murmured, his dark eyes swimming. "That made you very dangerous to them. And even though the war ended over a decade ago, you're still one of their top threats."

Relena felt lightheaded by Heero's touch, but refused to lose control of her emotions. She shrugged him off as gently as she could, feigning a delicate cough. It was an obvious move, but he got the message and moved back slightly.

"That's funny," she said after clearing her throat. "I haven't heard much more than a peep from Romefeller lately; only when they're having a charity fundraiser or something. I haven't even had any death threats in a while. So if I'm their number one enemy, why aren't they actively trying to take me out?"

Heero shook his head. "Don't get too comfortable. Just because you haven't heard anything doesn't mean all's quiet with them, or that preparations aren't being made."

Relena sighed. "I can't live my life worrying about that stuff. I've been in the public eye all my life, practically. And I'm getting married to a prince! From the sounds of it, things are only going to get worse. But I can't let that keep me from getting out of bed in the morning."

"That's what makes you strong." Heero's rough voice held obvious admiration. "And I want you to know before I say anything else that I'm happy for you."

"You are?" Relena looked up at him in surprise. "Truly?"

Heero's eyes didn't meet hers. "Yeah." She wondered if he meant it, but decided not to press.

Besides, she sensed a "but" coming.

"Then what else were you going to say?"

Heero sighed, a sound he didn't make often, at least to Relena's knowledge.

"This whole… wedding thing?" he started.

Relena looked at him imploringly, her eyes urging him to go on.

"It troubles me, and not for the reasons you think."

"What?" Relena balled her hands into tiny fists at her sides. "You'd better not be telling me I can't marry into another royal family because I'll make myself a more visible target, or something…"

Heero said nothing.

She tightened her fists. "I knew it." She unclenched her hands only to throw them up in the air incredulously. "That's what this is all about, isn't it?" She shook, furious. "All you ever care about is my safety, and my position and importance to the world, or whatever. You don't seem to care about how I feel." Same old Heero, she thought bitterly.

"Relena…" Heero raked a hand through his long bangs. "Let me explain."

She stood, scanning the area for a swift exit. "I think you already did," she snapped. "And I've heard enough for one night… One really dark, freezing night. Now take me home, Heero."

Relena's voice echoed through the cave, bouncing off the misshapen rocks. Heero was about to open his mouth to retort, when they heard a loud crack.

She cast worried eyes at Heero. "Ok," she said slowly. "That didn't sound good…"

"Let's get out of here." Heero wasted no time, grabbing her roughly by the arm and forcing her to break into a run.

Relena could only hope it wasn't the sound of her voice that set off the stalactites collapsing around them. Maybe Heero was right- dangerous events seemed to orbit around her.

But this can't be happening on purpose, she reasoned to herself, grasping for a logical explanation even as she did her best to keep up with Heero. Maybe I really am cursed…

She had to marvel at his speed, and even her own, given her four-inch heels. They were outside of the cave mouth in mere moments, listening to terrifying cracks and crashes behind them.

The pair turned and gaped as a wall of rocks and ice came crashing down, sealing off the cave entrance. The debris sent Relena into a coughing fit. Heero rubbed her back instinctively.

"Oh my God," she sputtered once she could finally form words. She rarely swore, but the expletive tumbled from her lips. "What the hell happened?"

"Guess we set off a reaction," Heero muttered. She secretly appreciated that he didn't place the blame solely on her. He guided her gently away from the cave, toward the direction of his car. "Well, good thing the place is closed for the season."

The car ride back to Brussels was tense and silent. There were so many things Relena wanted to ask Heero, but wasn't sure she wanted the answers to. He still hadn't told her why he'd left her in the first place, and where he'd been all this time. All he'd done was fill her in on conspiracy theories about her, her family and Romefeller that she'd already heard before. And come up with some dumb excuse for why she should postpone - or even cancel - her wedding. Originally, she had thought he would be sullen, and at least a little bit jealous of her impending nuptials to an English prince. But that seemed to be the least of his concerns.

She snuck a glance at Heero's face as he drove into the night, his jaw clenched. Was she really supposed to believe that this mystery about her life, her career, her destiny, or whatever, was what had kept him away from her for so long? If so, why? Heero was never one to spill his guts, and Relena didn't have the energy to pry.

The drive seemed to be taking so long, Relena half-wondered if Heero was driving her all the way to the Sanc Kingdom, which bordered Belgium and France. If he was taking her back to her family's estate, back to the place that held far too many memories of their early days, then she would refuse to speak to him for the unforeseen future.

She was relieved when she saw the city lights of Brussels sparkling up ahead. So he wasn't as presumptuous as she thought.

Not that even she had thought for a second that they would go back to her place and spend a romantic evening catching up on lost time. But still. The evening hadn't even come close to resembling the happy reunion Relena had spent years envisioning as she awaited Heero's return. She had to wonder what he'd thought it would be like, or if he even thought about these kinds of things.

Soon they were nearing the glassy, modern skyscraper that held the penthouse apartment Relena called home during the workweek. Heero guided his car into the building's adjacent parking garage and quickly located a spot. Relena let out a little huff of irritation. Of course, Heero already knew where she lived these days, never mind the fact that he had never been there before. Nor had she given him the address. She knew she didn't have to; in fact, knowing Heero, he probably knew exactly when she moved in there, most likely watching her from the shadows. Like he would.

She started to let herself out of the car, but Heero was already on her side of the vehicle, opening the door for her. She bit her lip to keep from releasing another sigh, merely trudging behind Heero, her hand clamped tightly around her briefcase.

Her bodyguard swiped a keycard to enter the building, which he had obtained who knows when. He proceeded to the elevator, but Relena held up a hand.

"I'm fine from here. You don't have to follow me upstairs."

Heero just shot her an icy look before pressing the "up" button.

This time Relena released a very vocal sigh as she followed Heero into the elevator that led only to her floor. She had to choose her battles, she knew, and there was no way her bodyguard would simply drop her off at the elevator and leave it at that. "Fine," she allowed. "You can escort me to the front of my apartment, and that's it. Understood?"

She glanced at Heero when he didn't reply; his eyes were squeezed shut. She harrumphed again to showcase her annoyance.

After an agonizing ride up, they came to the foyer that sealed off the large portion of the floor she had purchased. She had a ridiculous amount of space for one person, she realized, but then she was used to living in a palace.

Heero once again revealed that he knew far too much about Relena, as far as she was concerned, by entering her secret code to open the foyer door. But, then, should anything surprise me any more?

He failed to obey her earlier request by following her into the foyer. She sidestepped him, shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a nearby rack, kicking off her heels and dropping her purse and briefcase on the floor. She started to head for the kitchen but Heero grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Not so fast," he admonished. Relena looked up warily.

"Now what?"

Heero dropped her arm and entered the apartment, looking around furtively. In a matter of seconds he was on his hands and knees, peering under her living room furniture. He jumped up and proceeded to check behind all of her drapes, opening closet and cabinet doors, sniffing about like a guard dog. Relena realized she should have been used to this behavior, but it had been a long time since she'd worked with anyone so thorough.

A long, long time, she thought bitterly as she watched her teenage crush in all his adult, masculine glory wandering around her new place. She was so frustrated with him, and even more frustrated that he was so frustratingly sexy.

She stamped her foot.

"Heero," she called after him as he disappeared to her bedroom. "You have one minute to finish examining the premises and then see yourself out."

Her bodyguard exited her bedroom then and came striding toward her, his dark hair hanging in his eyes, a scowl on his face. He was as brooding as a stormcloud eclipsing her horizon. Relena unconsciously backed up.

"One minute?" he seethed. He stopped just inches away from her. "Thirteen years I've known you, Relena. All thirteen of those I've strived to do nothing more than look after your well-being, to protect you the best way I know how. And you expect me to do my job in one fucking minute?"

Relena's mouth twitched. "Heero," she said calmly. "I won't have you swearing at me."

Heero's stony features softened. "I wasn't swearing at you," he clarified.

Relena clucked her tongue. "Uh-huh…"

She wasn't sure how it happened, but the tension between them seemed to ebb away. She caught his eye and smiled. To her surprise, so did he.

He rubbed the back of his head, looking more tired than she'd noticed before. "I'm sorry…" he began.

Relena waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about it." She pivoted on her heel and moved toward the kitchen. "Now sit. I'm making tea and you're going to have a cup."

She didn't hear him sitting down but didn't hear an argument, either, so she set about her task. Relena glanced at the clock as she turned the stove on to heat her kettle and was shocked at how late it was. They had gone straight from the office to the grotto without stopping for dinner. She opened her refrigerator and frowned at the few contents, most of which were probably expired. Relena wasn't exactly best friends with her oven and cookbooks.

Still, she should make some kind of effort, since her grumbling stomach reminded her that her lunchtime salad had been consumed several hours ago.

"Are you hungry?" she called to Heero.

"That depends," he answered. "Are you cooking?"

Relena chuckled softly. "If I say yes, does that mean you'll leave?"

She heard nothing for a moment, and perused her tea cabinet while waiting for his reply. She wasn't prepared to hear his low voice right behind her.

"Do you want me to go?"

She spun around, dropping the boxes of tea she'd been holding. She blushed as Heero bent to pick them up. He read the boxes over instead of handing them back to her.

"I'm not drinking strawberry vanilla hibiscus," he frowned, placing the box on the counter. "Or wild blueberry… or green mango peach…"

"Well then what do you want?" Relena cut in. She crossed her arms over her chest for emphasis.

Heero smirked, setting down the last of the boxes. "There's a loaded question."

"I have plain old black tea," Relena rushed as Heero chuckled.

"Is that what you meant?"

"What?" She stared at him blankly.

Heero looked down at her through his dark curtain of hair. "We are talking about the tea, right?"

Relena spun around and busied herself raiding her cabinet, searching for the English Breakfast blend.

"Relena." Heero prodded.

She whirled back to face him. "We're not talking about anything else right now," she said firmly. "Just tea. And maybe dinner. If you want."

Perhaps she was giving him too much of an opening. But she couldn't just kick him out after everything they'd been through… could she?

Something sparked in Heero's eyes as he looked at her, but blessedly he refrained from saying anything else that would send her reeling.

"Do you have a place that delivers?" he asked finally.

She grinned up at him, opening a drawer and revealing a stack of menus.

"I have tons…"

* * *

A/N: Thank you everyone!

-RGS


	6. Silence from the Moon

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter Five: Silence from the Moon

by Relena's Glam Squad

**January 4, A.C. 208**

**Evening**

"So then I went to advanced microeconomics, and when I got there, he was waiting outside of the door again! And Cassandra was all like "He likes you!" and I was like "No way, he's just stalking me. I know a thing or two about stalkers." Mariemaia laughed at her own joke on the vid-screen while Lady Une chuckled, listening to Mariemaia's latest adventures at boarding school. "So Cassandra didn't believe me, so I told her about kidnapping Relena." Mariamaia laughed again, a loud, contagious laugh that Lady Une couldn't help but latch on to.

"I told you not to tell people about that," Lady Une scolded when she finally caught her breath. Mariamaia flapped a hand.

"No one really believes me anyway, so I just let them go on thinking I tell outrageous stories. If they knew that they were all true… well, who knows…" Mariamaia said, and she shrugged. "It's funny to watch their faces."

Lady Une rolled her eyes. "You are too much sometimes, darling," she said. Une picked up her coffee cup and took a long sip.

"You need to stop working so late. You're getting gray hairs," Mariamaia said.

"I know, darling. You tell me that every time you are home." The young girl just smirked and shrugged. Another incoming call beeped on the vid-phone. "I have to go. You behave."

"Sure thing." She winked. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!" They said good bye and Mariamaia's face disappeared to be replaced by one of the Preventers from the communications department.

"Colonel, I hope I'm not disturbing you," the man said, saluting into the screen. Une hated it when they saluted her, but so many Preventer agents were former soldiers, it was ingrained into them to the point where changing was unlikely.

"It's fine. Go ahead," she said, leaning back in her hair. The man lowered his hand from his forehead and glanced down, presumably at another screen.

"I have been trying to get in touch with the moon, but no one is answering," he said. "The last communication we had with them was that they were getting low on some basic supplies, so I was arranging to have those sent up, but once I called back for a confirmation, it's like all the lines are dead." Lady Une's eye narrowed.

"That's strange. When was this last communication?"

"Over a week ago." Lady Une laced her fingers together and tapped her chin with her extended pointer fingers.

"Send me over the files so I can take a look," she said. The agent nodded, saluted once more, and cut the connection. While she waited, Lady Une opened up the communication line to the moon, and waited while it tried to connect. After several minutes, a connection was established, but it was weak.

"This is Preventer Gold. Please accept communication," she said, but the screen was all static, and the sound coming through was partially static, and partially some garbled noise that she couldn't make out. Une cut the connection and waited before trying again. The results were the same.

When she checked her email, she had two video files waiting for her. The first one was normal. The agent in charge on the moon base was giving a list of their low supplies, and Une could hear the responses from the agent on Earth. However, the second video file was much the same as what Une had experience. All static with some garbled noises in the background. Une exhaled deeply and sat back once more in her chair. A gnawing feeling began to grow in her stomach. She decided to make use of some resources.

Une waited while her vid-phone made connection, and a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"I have a little project for you, Trowa."

* * *

Relena surprised herself by how quickly she was getting used to having Heero in her apartment. Within a few minutes of agreeing to order Thai food, he made himself comfortable on her couch, working on his laptop. She pretended to be busy doing things around the apartment while they waited for the food. She could have - should have - taken a call from her fiance, but Relena decided she'd call Timothy back after Heero left. Whenever that might be.

Once the call from the delivery guy came in, Heero headed downstairs to pay for their order without taking any of Relena's money. She was going to protest but decided she'd let him get this one.

Heero let himself back in moments later, carrying two brown bags of food. He made his way toward the dining room but Relena ushered him to the living room instead.

"Let's just eat out here," she said, taking a few large pillows off the sofa and placing them on the floor around the coffee table. She shot him a quick, bashful look. "Remember how we almost always used to eat this way?"

"Yeah, of course." Heero set the bags of food on the coffee table, taking a seat on one of the pillows. "That was all my idea."

"'Cause you grew up eating meals like that." Relena lifted the white take-out cartons out of the bags and handed Heero a pair of chopsticks.

To her alarm, he threw his head back and laughed. Downright guffawed. Although Relena knew that yes, even Heero Yuy was capable of a belly laugh now and then, it never failed to shock her when he busted one out.

"Why is that funny?" she asked sweetly, dipping a spring roll in peanut sauce, not waiting for the punchline.

"I never ate like that growing up," Heero said, quickly regaining his composure despite the little smirk still tickling his lips. "I don't even remember having any proper meals with my folks."

"Well, that's not what you told me before," Relena challenged. "You said that's how everyone did it in the Japanese colony."

Heero continued smirking as he expertly grabbed rice with his chopsticks. "I have no idea if that's even true. I made it up."

"But why?" She looked at him quizzically.

"So I'd have an advantageous angle." Heero turned his attention back to his chopsticks.

Relena knit her brows together in confusion. "Come again?"

Heero shrugged. "It was just easier. You know. Because we were already on the floor…"

Relena nearly choked on her pad thai. "Heero!" She crumpled up a disposable napkin and lobbed it at him. "No talking about that at the table!" She took a sip of water hoping it would calm her furious flushing.

Heero, too, sipped his water. Relena could still see his smirk through the glass.

He maintained eye contact with her as he set the glass back down. "Technically we're not at the table."

Relena tapped the antique wooden coffee table. "This is a table." She gave him a smirk of her own. "It counts."

Heero took a bite of pad thai before responding. Just when she thought he'd change the subject…

"You never liked doing it on the floor," he stated matter-of-factly, as if they were discussing food preferences or something equally benign.

Relena took her time answering him, not allowing him to catch her off-guard again. "I liked it just fine," she said coolly.

Heero's eyebrows shot up for a split second, seemingly thrown by the directness in her response.

"Well." He gave her a sharp look. "You were always trying to get me to stay in bed."

"Mm-hm." Relena struggled to control her features. "That's only because if I didn't, you wouldn't stay very long at all."

Despite her attempt to stay in control, her throat went tight. "And then one day you left and just didn't come back."

"Relena." His hand immediately covered hers. She slid away and started gathering up her food.

"I can't keep doing this," she said simply, stamping toward the kitchen. "We either find a new topic of discussion or we don't talk at all."

She set the dishes on the kitchen counter with her back to him. And then she felt him right behind her, his breath warm against her neck. He gently took hold of her elbow to turn her around.

"Relena…"

She cast reluctant eyes up at him, his boyish features she remembered so well, still so apparent through the more angular, masculine face that gazed down at her. She swallowed, not quite able to tell him - _show him_ \- how much she'd rather just not talk.

She took a chance, stepping closer toward him, almost right into him, and caressed his cheek. His eyes widened.

"Please, Heero," she whispered shakily. "For my sake - for both our sakes - please don't bring any of this up again."

"This?" His voice rose slightly.

"Us." She lowered her hand, taking a step back. Taking a deep breath. "It's over. It's been over."

Heero went rigid. "I get that."

"I don't know that you do. I don't know what you want, or what you're even doing here."

"I tried to explain it to you." He chanced a step forward. Relena took another one back.

"You started to, but you left me more confused than I was before you showed up here again." She leaned back against the counter, dizziness coming over her.

The move left her in a precarious position, where Heero could easily corner her, placing his hands on either side of her to pin her in place. A tactic he'd employed often in the past to get her right where he wanted. Historically, it had paid off every time.

This time he refrained. He jammed his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing that was one phrase he used entirely too much with her. "I've told you everything I can. For now."

Relena looked weary. "How much more is there?"

"A lot. Ten years' worth." He slowly raised his eyes to hers.

"And why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because it's sensitive information. I need to be sure we're alone."

"Heero…" Relena gestured around them. "We are alone. Probably as alone as we're going to get over the next few weeks. As you know, my schedule is jampacked. And try as you might to move things around to your satisfaction, or whatever it is you're doing, between work and meetings and events and wedding planning, you and I simply aren't going to carve out much alone time. This is it," she finished, breathlessly. "Just tell me."

To her ever-mounting frustration, he shook his head. "It's not secure enough here."

"This is my apartment," she sighed, exasperated. "Are you telling me it's not safe?"

"It's safe enough, yes. But not for what I need to tell you." He glowered. "I don't trust it."

Relena spread her hands. "Could you just, I don't know, write it down?"

Heero paused, looking as though he was actually considering the possibility. He looked at Relena sternly. "If I did, would you promise to destroy it?"

Relena crossed a finger over her heart. "I'd burn it immediately after reading."

"And you'd have to swear that no one else would see it."

"Absolutely." She nodded fervently.

Heero let out what almost sounded like a sigh, relaxing his posture. "Ok."

_That's it?!_ Relena wanted to scream, wondering why she hadn't come up with the solution sooner.

"Ok." She simply nodded again. "Great. When can I, ah, look forward to reading this?"

"You'll have it by tomorrow." Heero strode back to the living room, stopping to gather up his belongings.

"You're leaving?" Relena trailed behind him, not wanting to admit to herself that the thought made her sad.

"I've tied you up long enough." Heero gave her what seemed to be another "layered" look that she wasn't quite sure how to interpret; his eyes seemed to be saying so many different things…

She just waved a hand at him. "It's fine. You didn't tie me up at all."

A twitch.

"I wanted to, though."

Relena gasped involuntarily. His dark eyes twinkled.

"Heero…"

He made for the foyer door, glancing at her once more over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Relena."

She just stared after him, gaping in disbelief. He'd promised her they weren't going to talk about…

Relena quickly balled up another napkin and threw it as his retreating back. It fluttered to the ground before it could even hit the closing door.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading!

-RGS


	7. Popular Theories

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter 6: Popular Theories

* * *

**January 5, A.C. 207**

_**Wee Hours of the Morning**_

The blank page was his latest enemy.

Heero realized, as he drove to the hotel he and Duo were staying in, that it had been a long time since he'd attempted to write anything. In fact, he'd never tried expressing his own experiences that way. It made him feel uneasy. He wasn't even sure where he could locate paper and writing utensils these days. He was certain that electronic communication wasn't safe, unless he felt like leading Relena through a matrix of dark net and encrypted servers, but all of that effort seemed pointless now that they could finally communicate face to face.

_And about damn time, _he thought. All of these years, he'd been longing just to see her face up close again. He'd been deprived of her presence for far too long. Unbeknownst to many - unbeknownst to her - it was where he derived his strength, the one place he'd felt he actually belonged.

But that had been taken away from him. Convincing Relena of that - that he didn't have a choice - was going to be a task more arduous than any battle.

Heero stared down at the smooth, white paper, which seemed to stare back up at him tauntingly. He'd managed to procure a few notebooks and pencils from a nearby twenty-four hour convenience store. He'd also perused the pens but decided pencil ink was best; it could, after all, be erased.

And already, he'd done plenty of erasing. He kept starting, erasing, starting over. He scrubbed so hard with the inferior pencil eraser, he ripped holes into the paper. Frustrated, he crumpled up sheet after sheet, pitching them into the wastebin across the room.

Duo, who was apparently awakened by all of this, intercepted one of Heero's tosses.

"Hey," he said through a yawn. "What's up with all the scribbling? You a scribe now or something?" ← Insert NaNoWriMo joke here.

Heero groaned, rubbing his eyes. "It's for Relena," he said simply, as if that were explanation enough.

"Ah. Ok." Duo stood behind his comrade, peering over his shoulder. "Well if you're trying to write a love letter now, I'd say it's kinda late for that. Not like you haven't had plenty of time up till now."

Heero's shoulders sagged. He was too tired to get into a pointless argument when the point was so obvious. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered sarcastically. "Anyway, it's not a love letter."

"No? Well now I'm intrigued." Duo grabbed the chair next to Heero and sat down in it backwards. When Heero didn't divulge any more information, Duo sighed impatiently. "Come on, man. You can tell me. What is it?"

"I'm trying," Heero said through gritted teeth, "to explain where I was for ten years."

"Wow." Duo whistled. "You haven't told anyone yet."

"No."

"So why Relena? You think she still cares at this point?"

Heero frowned, gripping the pencil tightly. "She has a right to know."

"And I don't?" Duo bellowed. "I thought we were pals."

"You and I weren't sleeping together."

"Ya know, there are plenty of people who would debate you on that," Duo chuckled. "Popular theory about the Gundam pilots…"

"Fuck them," Heero growled.

"I would, but I have Hilde," Duo quipped, grinning. "Anyway, doesn't it piss you off, seeing Relena with that what's-his-face? Prince Tommy, or whoever? Guy seems like such a tool…"

Heero was erasing furiously again. Duo was making it impossible to get anything done, as usual.

"As long as she's happy."

"Seriously?" Duo threw up his hands. "Thirteen years, and that's all you have to say about it?"

"You've already asked me about this before," Heero said with a slight twitch in his jaw. "My answer is the same. If she's happy, I'm not going to interfere."

"Yeah, right," Duo muttered. "You expect me to believe you spent the last several hours with Relena, _not _interfering?"

Heero's face twitched again. "I was working."

"I don't buy it," the braided Preventer sighed. "Be honest with me- after whatever the hell you went through to get back here, you're going to give it all up, just like that? If you do, you're not the Heero Yuy I know."

Heero tore up another sheet of paper. He turned slowly in his chair to face Duo.

"I'm not Heero Yuy," he said darkly. "Heero Yuy died a long time ago."

Duo gaped at him for a beat before rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. Here we go again. Yeah, I know the real Heero Yuy died decades ago. Big deal. You're allowed to have a codename."

Heero just chuckled. "I don't even have that anymore. There is no 'Codename Heero Yuy,' Preventer, Gundam pilot zero-one. He doesn't exist. He's been erased."

Duo scratched his head. "Oh-kaaay… When- how did that happen?"

"Long story."

"Give me the abridged version."

"Suicide." He said it without a hint of emotion.

Duo stumbled backward. "Dude. Creepy. I think you need to a get a grip…"

"I'm serious." Heero turned back to his notebook.

He heard Duo sighing behind him. "Sometimes you really freak me out, man. Trying to be all dramatic and what not, hovering over your little book… What, so you think you're Hemingway now or something? Get over yourself."

Heero ignored him, trying to write once more. Duo was hard to tune out, but with enough concentration it could be done.

"Wait a minute." Duo was still talking. "So if you really gave up the name Heero Yuy, how did you sign a contract with the Preventers?"

"Simple. I didn't sign it 'Heero Yuy.'"

Duo nearly fell over. "And don't ya think someone's gonna notice?"

Heero shrugged. "No one ever reads those things."

"Oy…" Duo groaned. "So what the hell am I supposed to call you from now on?"

"Heero's fine. If that's what everyone wants to call me, I don't really care."

"So that means you're not telling anyone your new alias?"

"There's no point. He died too."

"W-what?" Duo stammered. "This is nuts. What the hell happened?"

Heero just chuckled. "Accident."

Duo smacked his forehead. "So you're nobody now. Is that it?"

"I always was 'no one.' Perhaps I should follow Trowa's lead and go by 'no name' for a while."

"You're hopeless," Duo moaned.

"That's a good one," Heero quipped.

"Nah, I'm just going to call you 'asshole,' 'cause you're totally being one right now." With that, Duo stalked back to his bedroom.

**January 5, A.C. 207 **

_**Mid-Morning**_

Sally and Wufei sat in their shared office, silently checking their e-mails and catching up on various paperwork. The man caught at the New Years Eve ball had spilled the beans with hardly any coercion. He spilled a rather boring story by Preventer standards, about a woman from the former Romefeller Foundation who had once had relations with the President of the ESUN, and was still upset that he'd married someone else twenty-five years ago. The woman had given the hired shooter her ticket so he could sneak into the event, then take his chance at killing the President. The kid was just an ametaur, someone she'd found at the country club and paid off to keep his mouth shut.

But, even if the story was boring, it didn't mean they could get out of paperwork. Sally was leaned back in her chair, her feet propped up on her desk with her laptop in her lap, while Wufei sat up straight in his chair with perfect posture. Occasionally, he'd glance at Sally, throwing her an irritated look.

"Must you keep your dirty boots on the desk?" he asked after a while. Sally shifted her gaze up from her laptop and raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think my boots are dirty?" she asked. Wufei leaned forward and snatched a facial tissue from a box and swiped at the desk under her feet, then lifted the tissue up.

"This is why," he replied, pointing to the dried dirt clinging to the tissue. Sally smirked.

"Technically, Wufei," she began, lifting her boots off the desk and thumping them onto the floor, "This part of the desk is mine." Wufei pressed his lips into a thin line and turned away from her. Sally shook her head and laughed, but kept her feet on the floor.

The chirping of their vid-phone caught the two Preventer agents' attention, and Wufei pressed the button on the device to answer the call. Colonel Une's face appeared on the screen.

"Chang, Po," she said in greeting with a slight bow of her head.

"Afternoon, Colonel Une," Sally said, stepping around to lean over Wufei's chair. "What's up?" Une sighed.

"Something rather strange is up, actually," she said. "We've lost communication with the biological research station on the Moon." Wufei and Sally glanced at each other, then back to Une's face on the screen. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Oh come on-" Wufei began to say, but Sally shoved him.

"Shut up," she growled. Une waited, then resumed once the two Preventers had settled down.

"I don't want to send just anyone to check it out, so I'd like you two to leave and head up there as soon as possible," Une said. Wufei and Sally nodded.

"Roger that, Colonel."

* * *

A/N: Apologies for the short chapter. Will get you another soon!

-RGS


	8. This Could Have Been Yours

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter 7: This Could Have Been Yours

by Relena's Glam Squad

* * *

**January 5, 208 A.C. **

**Brussels**

_**Morning**_

Duo made good on his word when it came to using his new "codename" for Heero.

"Nice parking job, asshole," he snorted as the two arrived at Relena's apartment building to pick her up for work.

Heero ignored his partner's remark as he exited the vehicle to retrieve Relena. "Stay in the car," he snarled at Duo, shooting him what had come to be known as his death glare.

"Asshole," Duo just mumbled. He waited impatiently for what seemed like entirely too long for Heero to be fetching Relena.

Inside, Relena was informing her bodyguard of an important schedule change.

"Morning," she greeted him cheerily. "Want some juice?" She held him a glass of questionable-looking, thick green liquid. Heero eyed it warily before shrugging and taking a swig.

"I'm glad you're here early," Relena started, flitting about the kitchen as she gathered up her things. "We need to go over today's schedule. There's been a slight adjustment."

Heero swallowed. "There has? Not that I'm aware of," he quickly recovered.

Relena shot him a coy smile as she slipped on a fitted cream-colored blazer over her matching wool shift dress. "You're not the boss."

"Right…" Heero frowned, although he wasn't about to argue. He was too tired from his late-night writing attempts. "So what's the change?"

"Timothy called last night. He took the liberty of upgrading my flight to one day early so we can have more time with his family this weekend."

"Huh," was all Heero said, although his mind raced. Timothy _took the liberty_? _What a control freak._ He quickly placed the now-empty juice glass in Relena's sink to keep from crushing it.

"So that means we're leaving tomorrow morning instead of Friday. I'll be working from home tonight and on the plane tomorrow. So obviously I had to bump up my dress fitting for today."

"Dress fitting?" he echoed.

"Yes, Heero." Relena rolled her eyes. "For my wedding dress."

He immediately tried to backtrack, adopting his usual scowl. "I thought I canceled that."

Relena just laughed. "Funny."

Heero didn't think it was funny. Duo falling on his ass was funny; not this. Heero realized that Relena was giving him a strange look.

"I have been minding my own schedule for _ten _years now, Heero," she said, turning away to pick up her purse from the counter.

Heero muttered expletives under his breath as he followed her out the door.

"I can hear you," Relena added sweetly, right before the elevator doors clanged shut. Heero glowered at the shining, metal doors, turned, and began the long descent down the steps to the ground floor.

At least Relena was gracious enough to wait for Heero at the bottom of the stairs, although she pretended to be busy on her phone, ignoring his scowl. They walked in silence to the car where Duo was waiting. Heero was chagrined to see that his partner had stolen the driver's seat, his feet propped up on the dashboard.

Heero yanked the door open, startling Duo, who was trying to nap behind his sunglasses.

"Move," Heero barked.

"No way, asshole," Duo quipped. "My turn to drive. Besides, you don't even know where Sandy lives. It's faster this way."

"A mere technicality," Heero grumbled, but ultimately he complied, sliding in to the backseat next to Relena.

Relena frowned, wondering what Heero was doing next to her instead of going to the passenger seat. She also thought the tension between her two bodyguards seemed bizarre.

"Did something happen with you two last night?"

Duo shot a wary glance at her in the rearview mirror as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Right back at ya," he muttered.

"What?"

"Did something happen with _you _two last night?" Duo tossed the question at her.

Relena felt her face flame. She couldn't even glance at Heero out of the corner of her eye. "I…"

To her shock, Heero struck the back of Duo's seat. "Shut the fuck up," he glowered. "Idiot."

The car swerved abruptly as Duo whirled his head around.

"Hey! I'm drivin' here! Asshole…"

"Yeah, real good job you're doing, too. Should've let me drive…"

"That's enough!"

Relena had found her voice, and it was sharp and commanding. "That is enough," she repeated, glaring icily at Heero. "Both of you." She turned her eyes to Duo's, peering at her once again in the rearview mirror. "I can't have the two of you behaving like schoolchildren. Either work something out, or remove yourselves from my detail. We can't afford these emotional outbursts; it's just sloppy. Really…" She crossed her arms, her glare intensifying. "I expected so much more. Especially from you two."

"Sorry…" Duo slowed the car down, his sullen mood evidently affecting his driving. "I'll shut up."

"Good," Heero snapped.

Relena could have slapped him, but heaved a sigh instead. "Heero…" she warned.

He swung steely eyes over to her, but she didn't waver.

She hoped a gentler tone would do the trick. "I need," she began calmly, "to be able to rely on you. Do you understand?" She tipped her head, gazing at him the way she did when she was all of fifteen and trying to explain to him why she believed in total pacifism.

His eyes held hers for a full minute before he bowed his head and uttered a monotone, "Understood."

They came to Sandy's apartment building. Duo slipped out to retrieve her, muttering that he'd be right back, a stark contrast from his usual chatty, chipper self. A few minutes later he and Sandy both got into the car.

"Hi!" Sandy said brightly. When no one answered her she swiveled around to find a very subdued Relena and her grouchy-looking bodyguard.

"Yeesh," the younger woman teased. "Who died?"

"No one," Duo muttered.

Heero scoffed. "Yet."

"Heero…" Relena shot him another glare. "Remember what we just talked about?"

"Whoa." Sandy turned to face Duo. "What'd I miss?"

* * *

**January 5, 208 A.C. **

**Brussels**

_**Early Afternoon**_

Relena walked quickly down the sidewalk, her heels clicking loudly on the cement, sending spatterings of melted snow and ice through the air. She flicked her wrist around to check the time. The minute hand was already creeping past the 1:00 mark. She was late for her wedding dress fitting. Relena _did not _like to be late. For anything.

And who else would make her late for something like this? Heero Yuy and his silly protective measures. He _insisted_ on calling ahead to find out the security measures of the dress shop, even though Relena had been there multiple times already and had yet to be killed or injured. It was obvious that he was a bit perturbed about her last minute schedule changes, but she hadn't thought about how late she'd end up being while having to deal with Heero's "habits." Not to mention, Heero was acting very distracted, hardly paying attention to her when she demanded that it was time to leave the office building. He even ignored Duo.

Okay, well that wasn't much of a surprise.

Relena slowed when she reached the white painted façade of the bridal shop. She flicked her wrist again to check the time. It was ten after one. Suppressing a low growl, she glanced over her shoulder. Duo was struggling to catch up with her quick pace, and he was already starting to double over and nearly dragging himself along the sidewalk. Relena tilted her lips in a frown. It wasn't that far of a walk from where they'd parked the car.

And Heero was bringing up the rear. His eyes glanced around furtively, but his pace was slow and deliberate, as if he knew that he was driving Relena crazy. Not bothering to wait, Relena wrenched open the door of the bridal shop and stepped inside, letting it slam behind her. The pane in the window rattled.

The smells of flowers and fabric filled Relena's nose. She took a deep breath and tried to relax, reminding herself that she was only ten minutes late. She crossed the plush carpet into her reserved room, and the sight that greeted her made her smile.

There was her wedding dress, hung up carefully by hangers, spread out in all its lovely glory, a meringue of tulle and lace.

"There you are, Miss Relena," a voice called from the next room. A tall woman stepped out of the side room, dressed in black from head to toe, a measuring tape around her neck. The seamstress, Mae, crossed the room and took Relena's hand in greeting.

"Sorry to be late," Relena mumbled, but Mae waved it off.

"No problem at all, darling," she said.

The front door slammed again, and Relena glanced back. Mae followed her gaze. Heero and Duo had stepped inside, looking around the shop like it might attack them. Duo looked around and spotted Relena through the doorway.

"There she is," he said, and hurried into the room.

"Who are they?" Mae asked, her voice low.

"My new bodyguards," Relena said with false cheerfulness. She turned towards Mae. "Ignore them. Let's get on with it."

Relena stepped back up to her dress and reached up to it carefully, her hands tracing lightly over the delicate fabric. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Heero and Duo take seats in the white, wooden chairs near the front window. Mae reached up, and together the two women lifted down the heavy dress from the hangers. They carried the dress into the changing room.

It was a difficult task, changing into the dress, because of its voluminous size, but Mae was an expert in that regard. Finally, the dress was settled around Relena's body and laced up in the back. Mae carried the train out of the dressing room, and Relena stood up on the platform in the middle of the room. Mae pulled a box from the side room and opened it. Inside were Relena's shoes, a glittering ordeal that had cost more than all her other pairs of shoes put together. Mae slipped the sandal shoes onto Relena's feet, and the young minister straightened up on the platform and gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

She tried to look at herself while Mae began to adjust the fabric that settled around her feet. But a glowering face in the mirror's reflection, showing just from behind Relena's skirts, drew her attention and held it. Heero's dark blue eyes shone with annoyance, half hidden by his hair. He was sitting in the most defensive position possible, with arms and legs crossed. And the worst part was that he was looking right at her reflection in the mirror, the two of them making eye contact through reflections.

Relena looked away.

Tension crawled up her skin as she tried to keep her eyes averted, looking at everything else in the room possible, including the most mundane, such as the air conditioning register on the ceiling. Mae asked her several times to stop fidgeting.

The door to the shop slammed for a third time, and the squeal of two women caught Relena's attention. She tried to turn as much as she could without disturbing Mae, but it was difficult. Two women marched into the room in their heels, tittering and gasping. They approached Relena with big smiles on their faces.

Relena's wedding planners, or as they had dubbed themselves, her glam squad, had just arrived. The atmosphere in the bridal store exploded with estrogen.

Fern Avery, the taller of the two planners, was a world-renowned fashion editor and stylist from Antwerp, and looked the part. Her frosty blonde hair was cropped into a choppy, asymmetrical bob that flirted with her shoulders. She wore head-to-toe black, emphasizing her Pilates-toned figure. Her spike-covered footwear scarily resembled Dominatrix boots, echoing across the floor with a commanding sound as she sauntered over to Relena.

Nadia was the shorter of the two, a self-proclaimed fake redhead and master planner and organizer. That day, she looked like her closet exploded onto her, with mismatched leggings and skirts, an overly large scarf, beige leg warmers and a pair of platform, strappy sandals that had no business accompanying that outfit in the winter. Her hair, as usual, her hair resembled a lion's mane in the Belgium humidity.

"Miss Relena!"

"So sorry to be late…"

"We got distracted by the most _beautiful_ tiara…"

"And we simply _had _to pick it up for you."

Relena chucked quietly. "You know Timothy's mother wants me to wear the family tiara."

Fern and Nadia wrinkled their noses at the same time.

"That thing is so ugly…"

"And out of style."

Fern opened the bag she held in her hands and pulled out a smaller box. She opened it up gently, and the glittering tiara was revealed nestled among a puff of pink velvet. Relena couldn't help herself; she sucked in a breath at the sight.

The tiara the girls had found shimmered with diamonds, but accompanying the diamonds were the loveliest aquamarine colored gems Relena had ever seen.

"Holy shit," Duo cried out. "Dude Princess, that's gonna match your eyes perfectly!" he added, jumping up from his hair to get a closer look at the tiara. Fern nodded approvingly at Duo.

"Exactly." Fern stepped up to the platform with Relena and rested the tiara on her hair, deftly shifting around some strands of hair to fall around the diamonds. Relena looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Chills crawls up her skin and the world seemed to mute. People told her she was beautiful, but she never really saw it, until now. She felt like a fairy tale princess, rather than the war torn one she'd been.

Her eyes shifted slightly in the mirror, and she caught another look at Heero, who was staring at her with some mixture of longing and sadness. _This could have been yours,_ she thought to herself.

The sounds in the bridal shop came crashing back against her ears. Nadia and Fern were chattering animatedly with Duo, explaining the intricacies of her dress and many of the other details about the wedding that they had been planning. Nadia slipped a flat box out of her shoulder bag and showed it to Duo. He took the box in his hands and lifted the lid up.

"Is that my…" Relena began to say, but Duo pulled the shimmering veil out of the box and spread it out in a flourish.

"Just arrived this morning," Nadia confirmed. Duo shook out the veil and swung it around and tucked the little combs into his hair, shifting around the veil to cover his face. The women began to laugh as he checked himself out in the mirror.

"I look pretty amazing, huh ladies?" Duo asked, twisting his hips around in a very feminine fashion, a big goofy grin on his face.

"Darling, you look beautiful."

"You should wear it to your own wedding."

"Nah, sorry ladies," Duo said, wiggling his hand at the two women. "Already married."

"A shame," they said together. A goofy grin spread over Duo's face.

Mae rose from her place on the edge of the platform where she'd been making notations in a little notebook. She tucked the book under her arm and flung her measuring tape back over her neck.

"You are all set, Miss Relena," she said with a smile. She helped Relena off the platform and into the dressing room to change. While she was in there, she could hear her wedding planners still talking to each other at that high speed pace, a pace which only they seemed to understand each other. Relena was usually totally lost when they were in creative planning mode.

As she was slipping out of her dress, the vision of Heero's eyes came back to her, that sad, forlorn look. Twinges of guilt began to gnaw at her, like it was her fault he was hurt. She tried to shake the thought from her head. It wasn't her fault. He'd made that choice for the both of them without consulting her, so what did she owe to him? Relena had made the choice to do what was best for herself, and her career, even if it meant that her face would continue to be plastered across tabloids until the day she died, and probably for long after.

Relena sighed as she pulled her blazer back on over her blouse. Nothing could be changed now. Time was racing forward toward her wedding date, and after that, her ties with Heero would have to either be cut, or at the very least, loosened.

When she stepped back out into the room, Nadia and Fern accosted her and set up a phone call meeting for the following week, when she would be up in the colonies. They would go over a few details to get the final decisions made. The two planners also reminded her that invitations would have to go out soon.

Relena's gaze flicked to her bodyguards. She was _dreading_ the invitations.

* * *

-RGS


	9. Briaded Invasion

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter 8: Braided Invasion

**January 5, A.C. 208**

**Brussels**

_**Evening**_

Outside the large windows of Relena's bedroom, the city sprawled out in a glittering of lights. Lights on their own, and lights reflecting off the glass of different apartment buildings and office buildings. It often reminded her of the view of the Earth, just before exiting the atmosphere, how the lights of the large cities stood out against the darkness of the rest of the planet. Up high above the city, in her penthouse apartment, just for a moment, Relena could relish in the silence and stability of Earth. Lately, she'd been assaulted by noise, by activity and constant movement and travel. Below her, everything was stationary, except for the headlights of the cars rolling through snow covered streets. With a sigh, Relena leaned her forehead against the cool window, and closed her eyes. In her mind, she brought up images of her adopted father, the man who was formerly the Vice Foreign Minister. She thought of him during the last moments of his life, as the rebel crew tried to keep him alive.

_Your real name is Relena Peacecraft._

The day her entire life had changed, and the course of her future shifted gears entirely. There was no way she could have predicted that life for herself, and yet, here she was, in the middle of Brussels, the Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, and engaged to the Prince of England. It was a life that any girl could want, to be famous and wealthy and marrying a prince to become a princess.

But she'd lived the life of a princess, and a queen, and it was hardly glamorous.

High up in her proverbial tower, she sometimes wondered if she'd completely lost control of her own life, and if the choices she'd made were even the ones that would make her happy.

_There are some who say the universe is comprised entirely of digital time codes..._

Heero's words burst unencumbered into her mind, and Relena scoffed. She spun around away from the window and threw her arms dramatically up in the air. On her bed, her suitcase was opened, half packed with her clothes for her brief trip to England. Three dresses were laid out across her bed, which she still couldn't decide between. She suddenly felt very silly not being able to decide about dresses when apparently there were timecodes out there, supposedly controlling her life or history…

Relena huffed and sat down on the edge of her bed, resting her chin in her hands. The whole day had been stressful, as Heero and Duo had some sort of tiff between them, and usually an annoyed Duo and annoyed Heero together meant an annoyed Relena. The tension had built up until finally Relena called an end to the day and requested that the two of them take her home, then spend some time apart from each other. They would be spending the next several days together, in a place which would most likely be uncomfortable for both her guards, and she had too much on her mind already without her bodyguards fighting like children.

Footsteps on the wood floor of her living room alerted her to someone being in her apartment. Relena's chest tightened and her heart began to race. Carefully, she rose, crossed to her dressing table and slipped her pistol into her hands. She could hear the footsteps ambling around the room, which seemed strange for an intruder. Relena leaned against her door frame and poked her head out, looking around. Someone was standing in her apartment, looking around. A black trench coat covered his body, and the collar was pulled up around his neck, a black hat covering his head. And more to her annoyance, was dripping dirty slush all over her floors.

Relena stepped up, raised her gun and pointed it at the man's back.

"Drop to the floor!" she shouted. The man in black jumped and threw himself on the ground. Relena crossed the hall and into the living room on her toes, and stepped around the man on the ground. She grabbed the hat and wrenched it off his head.

A long, brown braid tumbled over the man's shoulder.

"Duo?! What the hell?" Relena shouted, lowering the gun and staring at him. Duo lifted his face up from the ground, a smirk on his face.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, princess," he said. Duo pushed himself up from the floor and readjusted his coat.

"How did you even get in here?" Relena asked while she turned away and set her pistol on the mantel over the fake fireplace. Her racing heart began to slow, and she could feel her body temperature dropping from the initial scare.

"Psh, Yuy _thinks_ he can keep all his stuff a secret. He left his computer unlocked while he took a shower, so I swiped the info and came over," Duo explained. He shook himself from his coat, and Relena took it to hang it up in the closet. Relena could just imagine the look on Heero's face when he realized that Duo had invaded his computer, and the thought made her laugh quietly.

"Pretty sweet digs, princess," Duo said, glancing around the apartment. Relena smiled and blushed.

"Thanks." They fell silent for a moment. "So… what brought you over here to scare the life out of me?" Relena asked. She gestured to the couch and took a seat. Duo plopped down beside her.

"I was feeling pretty bad about acting like such a jerk today," Duo said. "So I came to say that I'm sorry." Relena gave him a lopsided smile and touched his shoulder.

"I appreciate that, Duo," she said. Duo grinned and pulled her into a tight, awkward hug. Once he released her, laughing, Relena pushed her hair from her face and settled back into the couch. "Thank you. Things are so hectic lately, and the wedding, and you guys…" She trailed off, heaving a big sigh.

"I get it. You don't have to explain anything to me," he said with a knowing look, which caused Relena to blush once more.

"I didn't mean…"

"Seriously, you don't have to say anything. As long as you are happy, then I'm happy," he said.

"He said the same thing," Relena admitted. Duo raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I… I don't really believe him," she said. Duo shook his head and rose up from the couch.

"He's a damn liar," Duo said. "I hate to tell you that, princess, because I know it's the last thing you need. I just have to sit here, every day, and watch him pine for you. But you know what? He acted like a jerk by leaving, so he doesn't really deserve anything, does he?" Duo spoke while waving his hands around his head, gesturing wildly and emphasizing words with a punch of a finger. Relena bit her lip.

"I suppose so," she replied, but inside, she knew it was all wrong. Relena just couldn't believe that after everything the two of them had been through, that Heero would just up and leave. Painful memories washed over her, and Relena lowered her head under the weight of the mental anguish she harbored for so many years after he left. She felt the couch shift as Duo sat back down beside her.

"That's just my point of view, Lena. Don't take me too seriously," he said apologetically. "I'm sure that Tommy-"

"Timothy," Relena corrected.

"-is a great guy, and I'll probably like him more than Yuy." Relena uttered something that was between a cough and a laugh. Duo grinned. "Not that it's hard to find someone I like more than Yuy." Relena couldn't help but laugh again, and Duo rose once more. "I should get goin'. He'll figure out that I left soon enough and get all angry. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning," he said. Relena nodded as she pushed herself up from the couch to let Duo out of the apartment. They walked to the door together and Duo slung his coat on over his shoulders and crammed his hat onto his head.

"Thank you for reminding me that I need to change my elevator and alarm codes," Relena said, reaching up to hug Duo goodbye.

"No problem." They laughed together for a moment, then Duo pecked Relena on the cheek and left the apartment. Relena watched until the elevator doors slide closed, blocking him from view, and the low rumble meant the elevator was descending some thirty stories to the ground floor. Relena closed her front door and locked it and turned back to her bedroom, absently biting her lip.

She hoped and prayed to God that everything about the long weekend in England would go smoothly…

**January 5, A.C. 208**

**Lady Une's Townhome**

_**Evening**_

Lady Une had finally been able to sneak away from the Preventer headquarters at a reasonable hour, and was now sitting in her favorite chair, with a glass of wine while watching some mind-numbing television show. Her townhome was quiet and peaceful, just the way she liked it. Although occasionally, she did miss the constant chaos that came with raising a girl like Mariemaia. Une poured herself more wine from the bottle standing on the end table beside her, letting the dark red liquid slosh around the glass for a moment before taking a sip. She set the glass beside her and pulled her blanket up around her chin and snuggled down into the chair, with every intention to fall asleep right there.

That is, until her vid-phone began to chirp. Lady Une threw her head back with a groan and pushed herself up from the chair. Her comfy throw slid to the ground under her feet, and she crossed the living room to her office. At the last moment before answering the call, Lady Une threw on a cardigan over her shoulders to cover her pajama top, sat down in her chair, and answered the call.

Trowa Barton's face appeared on the screen, and his expression was glum. Lady Une that as a bad sign.

"Evening, Trowa," Une greeted with a smile. Trowa nodded in response, and over the speaker, she could hear a shuffling of papers.

"I've completed the analysis of the audio clips you sent me. I was able to isolate the layers of sound and take out the static. What I got when I re-listened, even at normal speeds, was some sort of noise, like gurgling in the throat, and a harsh coughing. But the sounds are most definitely human," Trowa said, sounding like he was reading from a paper that he'd been shuffling around.

"Gurgling and coughs sounds?" Une asked thoughtfully. "What can this mean? Could you hear anyone speaking?" Trowa shook his head.

"No sounds of conversation. Just the random coughs and gurgling," Trowa said. The look on his face told Lady Une that this news was just as unsettling for him as it was for her.

"This is troubling," Lady Une said, twisting her hands around in her lap. Trowa nodded. "I'll have to send a message to Wufei and Sally. They're already on their way up to the moon base."

"Do you really think it's safe?" Trowa asked, his visible eyebrow quirked questioningly. Lady Une leaned her head onto her palm.

"Not so much anymore, but what else could we do?" she confided. "There was no communication coming from the base, and it's one of our most important Preventer research stations." Trowa nodded curtly.

"I'll leave to head them off as soon as I can get my hands on a ship," he said. Lady Une breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Trowa," she said. The quiet pilot nodded his head, said goodbye, and they cut the connection. Lady Une leaned back in her chair. There were too many things that just didn't add up. And that worry in the pit of her stomach grew stronger each day.

Une leaned forward once more and began to record a message to send to Wufei and Sally.

-RGS


	10. Heero Meets Timothy

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter 9: Heero Meets Timothy

by Relena's Glam Squad

* * *

**January 6, A.C. 208**

_**Early Morning**_

"We just arrived at the airport," Relena said into her cellphone, her heels clicking loudly on the tile floor of the Brussels International Airport. A bag with a long strap was slung over her shoulder, and contained only her work tablet and two books that she grabbed off her shelf before leaving her penthouse that morning. In one hand, she carried a coffee cup with her favorite latte from the coffee shop just past the security checkpoint. Her bags were checked and she was on her way to the plane.

Behind her, looking cranky and exhausted, were Heero and Duo. Duo's eyes weren't even open all the way, and he was hiding most of his face under his black cap with the brim pulled down low. Heero, on the other hand, looked exhausted, which was evident by the dark shadows beneath his eyes and the diminished color of his skin. But he was putting on an act about being completely awake.

Timothy continued to chatter in Relena's ear about all the plans that her future mother-in-law had planned for her visit. Relena only half listened as her eyes drifted around her, checking each sign for her terminal. Finally, she approach terminal 45, and slowed her pace.

"Darling, I'm at the terminal. I will be there soon," she said into the phone.

"Of course. I will see you when you get here," he said, and Relena could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling. "I love you, and have a safe trip." Relena's heart fluttered in a way that she wasn't sure was good or bad.

"I love you, too," she replied, and hung up the phone, tucking it back into her purse. Relena glanced behind her, and saw that Heero and Duo had finally caught up. Heero looked up to meet Relena's eyes; his normal icy blue was duller with lost sleep, and something else was expressed, something Relena couldn't put her finger on. She smiled at her bodyguards.

"Ready?" she asked, slipping her ticket out from her bag. The two men nodded sleepily, and they joined the queue lining up at the gate.

"How can you be so chipper this early in the morning?" Duo asked through a yawn. Relena grinned and pointed to her cup.

"I offered to buy you coffee," she said. "You declined."

"I was probably asleep," Duo said. He rolled his head and stretched his arms up over his head. Behind her, Relena heard Heero snort, but she ignored him. He'd been acting weird the whole way to the airport, so she was taking it upon herself to punish him. She knew it was because of her trip to see Timothy, and she'd offered to let him stay behind, but he declared that he needed to remain by her side. And yet, he was acting sullen and cranky.

The line continued to move, and finally, Relena and her bodyguards had their tickets scanned and they stepped onto the tunnel that lead out to the airplane. Relena found her seat in first class and sat down beside the window. Duo, who was behind her, slumped into the seat beside her. Following up behind, Heero stopped and glared down at Duo.

"Move," he grumbled. Duo opened one eye and looked up at Heero.

"You can take the seat across the aisle," Relena said, not looking up from her work tablet, which she had pulled out of her bag. Duo gave Heero an evil grin, then curled up in his chair, his head drooping onto Relena's shoulder, and promptly passed out. Heero huffed a bit, and sat down in the chair across from them, beside an elderly man who coughed up something from his throat as soon as Heero sat down.

Relena peeked at him from under her eyelashes. He deserved it. Carefully, Relena swapped her tablet with one of her books, trying not to disturb Duo, and set to read while they waited for the plane to take off.

Across the aisle, Heero leered at the sleeping Duo, who was dangerously close to drooling into Relena's pearl pink blazer. The braided idiot had somehow developed that sort of relationship with Relena, wherein he could just lie all over her like a lapdog. At least, as Relena had stated many times already in the past, their relationship was completely 'platonic.' She'd told him once that Duo fit into the role of a brother much more easily than Milliardo. Heero did have to admit to himself that he was grateful for another pair of eyes to watch over her.

Even so, it didn't change the fact that Duo was sitting beside her on their flight, and he was stuck next to the old man with some sort of congestion in his chest.

After the flight had taxied and taken off into the air, Heero removed his briefcase from under the seat in front of him and pulled out the lined, spiral bound notebook that he'd bought before their trip. In it, he'd planned to write his entire story, detailing everything out to Relena so that she'd understand the last ten years of his life. But so far, all he'd written was the date at the top of the page, the date that he'd first woken up in the hands of Jin. Heero removed a pencil from his briefcase as well, popped down the tray to his lap and rested his tools in front of him. On the first page, he brought the tip of his sharpened pencil down onto the crisp white paper of the notebook.

Vaguely, he recalled a memory from his childhood. He'd been small, younger, and in school. He was learning to write letters, but little Heero, or rather, Odin Lowe Jr., would press his pencil down onto the paper so hard that the tips would always break, and he'd tear holes in the paper. A sensory memory awakened, and he slowly remembered how the young teacher had taken his hand in her's, loosened his death grip on the pencil, and whispered to him to remember the little birdy, who liked to sit in between the pencil and his hand. If he gripped the pencil too hard, he would squish the little birdy. Little Odin had taken that to heart, and learned to loosen his grip on the pencil, and stopped breaking his pencils and dragging holes through the paper.

Now, however, Heero found himself pressing hard into the paper, leaving behind thick, black letters on the pages. He'd pressed so hard, several pages on carried the imprint of those first few words. Remembering the little birdy, Heero loosened his grip on the pencil, and with a deep, relaxing breath, dove into his story.

* * *

The plane landed at Heathrow International Airport without incident, although getting through customs was a trial all its own. Despite Relena's political stature, she was not immune to the seemingly endless queue, and neither were her bodyguards. She passed the time texting Timothy to let him know they'd landed safely and swapping a few texts with Sandy, finding out all about the big sale she was missing at the girls' favorite department store.

_Although, _Sandy texted, _I'm just bragging about that so I feel less sucky that you're spending the weekend with your prince. In a castle! P.S. I hate you._

Relena laughed out loud. Heero looked at her warily, leaning on his suitcase for support. He tried to hide his sleepiness, but waiting in the long line was testing his patience and self-control. Duo unabashedly yawned and stretched, not seeming to care who he annoyed in the process.

_Shouldn't you be working? _Relena texted back.

The reply from the Vice Foreign Minister was almost instant. _Personal improvement day. :-) _

_Of course. :-) _Relena would never be one to begrudge her associate a personal day, even if she rarely took them herself.

_Besides, _Sandy texted, _I need to look my best during our tour of the colonies next week! You wouldn't want a frumpy VFM making you look bad. ;)_

_Ugh. How awful. ;)_Relena giggled as she punched out her reply. She slipped her phone back into her purse and craned her neck to see over the long line that still stretched out ahead of them. Relena shifted around, trying to find a comfortable way to stand, when she was approached by a man dressed in a security uniform of the airport. Relena glanced at Duo and Heero nervously; they had noticed the approaching man as well.

"Miss Darlian?" the man said, stopping on the other side of the cable barrier. Relena drew up to her full height.

"Yes?"

"I have been asked to bring you and your security detail around to the exit," he said. Relena frowned.

"By who?" Heero asked gruffly.

"Prince Timothy of Wales," the security guard said with a slight smirk in Heero's direction. Relena glanced back at Heero, but shrugged her shoulders. The guard lifted up the barrier, and Relena ducked underneath, dragging her suitcase behind her. Reluctantly, Heero and Duo followed. Several people in line turned to watch, and behind her, Relena could hear the whispers.

"_That's Foreign Minister Darlian!"_

"_I can't believe she's marrying the prince!"_

It almost seemed as if all the noise in the airport was muted as Relena crossed the open area towards the row of doors leading outside. Many pairs of eyes were trained on her as she walked. Up ahead, Relena saw the crowd of security standing around a tall man dressed in a suit. A weight felt like it lifted from Relena's chest when she saw him.

He was as handsome as ever, well-dressed and put together. Timothy smiled as she approached and stepped forward from his guards.

"There you are, Relena, darling," he said. Relena quickened her pace and when she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck. His arms circled her waist and enclosed her in a hug. Gently, Relena tilted her face up and felt the soft press of his lips against hers. Relena wanted to melt into him, to forget everything and relish in his naive comfort.

But she couldn't. Her enjoyment was tarnished by the burning gaze she felt at the back of her head. Relena released Timothy and took a step back. He smiled down at her and released his hold. Slowly, Relena turned around, and her eyes met Heero's. In them was such emotion that Relena felt suddenly faint. She pressed a hand to her chest and took a step back.

"Are these two men your security detail?" Timothy asked, gesturing towards Duo and Heero. Relena nodded slowly as Heero and Duo caught up to them and stopped a few feet away. "This is Duo Maxwell and H-"

"Odin Lowe," Heero interrupted, sticking his hand out to shake Timothy's hand. Timothy smiled and gripped Heero's. Relena watched nervously as the two men's hands tightened around each other, as if sizing up the other. Not to mention, the way Heero was leering at Timothy made Relena want to crawl into a hole and hide.

"Nice to finally meet you!" Duo said, shoving Heero aside. "Relena's talked a lot about you, Tommy."

"It's Timothy," Relena and Timothy said at the same time.

"I can't wait to see your digs out here," Duo said, having not heard the correction of TImothy's name. Graciously, however, Timothy smiled and nodded to the three of them.

"My limo is waiting outside," he said, turning and motioning for them to follow. Relena turned around and glared at the two of them, snagged her suitcase handle and marched away, following behind Timothy.

In the limo, Relena sat beside Timothy, with Heero and Duo sitting across from them. Timothy's arm was resting around Relena's shoulder and absently playing with a strand of hair. Relena quietly slipped out her phone and sent a text to Heero.

_Odin Lowe? What happened to Heero Yuy? _she sent to him.

Across the limo, Heero was already intently working on his phone. He didn't even flinch when he sent back a quick response.

_I lost him._

Relena frowned at her phone and typed back: _What a shame. I was rather fond of Heero Yuy._

Relena glanced up and saw that Heero was looking at her as well. There was a sly smile on his face. Relena looked away quickly, feeling suddenly embarrassed, and stuffed her phone back into her purse.

Heero pocketed his Preventer-issued phone, looking up just in time to see Timothy grabbing Relena's hand.

"Darling, what's your fancy this afternoon?" Timothy started rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "I thought we could have lunch at the Royal Grande and stroll along the Queen's Walk. You love the Queen's Walk," he grinned, reaching up to ruffle his fiancee's hair.

"I do love the Queen's Walk," Relena smiled, thinking fondly of the romantic promenade along the South Bank of the Thames, taking in views of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the iconic Tower Bridge and Tower of London, and of course the massive London Eye looming over it all. It was a little cheesy and more than a little touristy, but she'd always loved the way the city's gigantic ferris wheel cast the entire riverfront in a whimsical, carnival glow.

She had to admit it, she loved the idea of marrying a Brit and effectually becoming one herself. It gave her all the excuses she needed to relish her Anglophilia to her heart's content.

As much as she loved living in Brussels, daily admiring the intricate, gothic guild halls of the Grand Place, a short walk from the ESUN offices, and the resplendent, multicolored flower carpet blanketing the ground, harkening back to the free-spirited '70s and the city's bohemian roots. She loved taking lunch breaks in the Parc du Cinquantenaire, gazing up at the gorgeous triumphal arch. Soon she'd swap that view for that of the Marble Arch. It was bittersweet, but she brimmed full of excitement just thinking about it.

Timothy's insistent voice pulled her out of reverie.

"Darling?" He tapped her hand lightly. "Shall we?"

"Oh." Relena crinkled her brow. "Actually, I'm not that hungry… Guys?" She glanced at Heero and Duo, the latter of whom still looked half-asleep while the former just shrugged.

She batted dark lashes at Timothy. "Perhaps we can wait until we get to the house and get settled first."

Timothy pulled back his hand, a look of disappointment crossing his face that he quickly masked after a clearing of the throat. "Right," he said in his clipped accent. "It'll be tea time by then, but that's fine."

Relena flashed a smile, placing her hand back in his as a peace gesture. A compromise. "It will be lovely," she beamed. "I'm so happy to be seeing everyone at the house."

By "the house," Relena of course meant the Lockhart estate in the Vale of Glamorgan, one of the wealthiest sections of Wales. While the family had castles in London, Northern England and Scotland, Timothy had told Relena that the Glamorgan house was a favorite. After visiting many of the royals' various homes, she found that the Wales mansion tugged the most on her heartstrings. Her eyes loved drinking in the rich scenery of the Welsh countryside, the impossibly green, rolling hills, the gnarled, ancient trees, the rocky coastline, and even the traffic jams caused by free-roaming sheep. Although now the landscape had taken on a decidedly muted palette of browns and grays, she found it no less beautiful.

Periodically throughout the drive, Relena would steal glances of Heero, who kept busy on his tablet, wearing a constant scowl. Her amateur attempts at espionage were quickly thwarted, as Heero caught her looking at him and glanced up every time. She'd then pretend to be craning her neck to look out the window, admiring the quaint, pastoral scenery, occasionally murmuring about all of the pretty horses. She wondered if Heero was at all impressed by what he saw, or if it even registered with him on a deeper level. His eyes were cautious, his jaw clenched as if tension emanated from every pore. Relena recalled how hard it used to be to get Heero to relax, and wondered if the task would prove impossible now, given how he'd clearly retreated back to the stoic soldier she first met long ago. Those first few years after the war, he was finally starting to carve out an existence as a human young man, not a warrior, and she had witnessed him slowly coming out of his shell. Now, it had snapped closed again, all of that hard work undone, as if it had all been for nothing.

She wondered what he'd been through that made him go back.

As they crossed over the Severn Bridge, leaving England behind for the time being, Relena's heart began to hammer in her chest. She took a deep breath to still her… well, she didn't know what it was she felt, exactly. Excitement? Anxiety? Nerves? She cast a sidelong glance at her fiance, who by then had dozed off beside her, then again at Heero, who looked up automatically, his dark eyes mirroring the worried look in her own.

Fear?

* * *

-RGS


	11. Royal Families

The Edge of Oblivion

Chapter 10: Royal Families

by Relena's Glam Squad

**January 6, A.C. 208**

**Somewhere in Space**

The trip through the atmosphere tossed the small ship around, forcing Sally and Wufei to press themselves back into their seats further to avoid dizziness or the possibility of getting sick. Colonel Une had asked them to taken one of the older, less descript Preventer ships to space. This way, they would minimize attention being drawn to them. Une was still nervous about the whole situation, and asked them over and over again to be careful and to keep regular communication. It took Wufei practically dragging Sally away from Une to get them onto the ship and off into space, though Une continued to shout precautions at them, even after the hatch was closed and the engines started.

The little ship jolted forward as it was released from the pressures of the atmosphere. Wufei steadied the controls to keep the ship from tilting around in the zero-gravity, and after a moment, they were set on a cruise towards the moon.

"There's a reason we hardly use this ship anymore," Wufei grumbled as he pressed his hands to his head to steady himself. Sally patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Age sure changes a lot," Sally said. "Remember when we used to pass through the atmosphere a bunch of times in a week without any problem?" Wufei nodded and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I should have kept Nataku's stabilizing system before I laid her to rest," Wufei said. He paused a moment, then spoke, a little over dramatically, "I never barfed piloting her, then I ride in these shuttles and-" he mimed vomit coming from his mouth with his hand, and Sally let out a laugh.

"Very true," she replied. They smiled at each other, then leaned back in their seats to rest as they sped towards the moon.

The two were sitting quietly when a light on the dashboard blinked, indicating an message. Sally pressed the button and Wufei moved to stand behind her chair, leaning forward slightly. The message came in as mostly static, but they could see the it was Lady Une. Her mouth was moving, but only one in every few words could be heard. Not to mention, the screen on the control panel began to fail, cutting out every few seconds. Finally, it outright died and powered down.

"Piece of shit ship," Wufei mumbled. Sally pounded a fist on the control panel, but to no avail.

"Well, I hope whatever she was saying wasn't important."

**January 6, A.C. 208**

**Penarth, Wales**

_**Mid-afternoon**_

Relena smoothed her gray wool peacoat before slipping on her matching cashmere gloves. She turned to Timothy as the limo pulled into the long, cobblestone driveway after entering through an ornate iron gate.

"Do I look all right?" she asked nervously.

Heero, who was still sitting across from the pair, gaped as he watched Timothy actually give Relena a onceover. To Heero, any answer besides "yes" was inexcusable.

"Well, since you did ask…" Timothy grinned, twirling a strand of Relena's long hand. "Your coat's a bit creased, but I suppose that can't be helped. Traveling and all."

Relena blushed at his teasing. "I'll have to have it pressed later…"

"Oh, hush." Timothy began gathering up his things as the car lulled to a stop. "You know my family's absolutely nutters over you, anyway. You can relax." He gave Relena a wink.

Heero rolled his eyes at what he thought was a ridiculous exchange. He'd fallen prey to the "do I look all right" inquiry in the past, and learned that it was a question that should never be shrugged off, nor joked about. No, he had learned that the best possible response was to just kiss Relena, and, if anything, leave her looking far more rumpled than she ever could have been on her own.

He grunted. He wasn't sure how long he could handle watching some other man romancing the girl who used to be his. It was infuriating. But he had chosen to be here, and part of him knew that he more than deserved any agony he felt.

Heero dutifully followed Relena and Timothy outside of the limo and toward the front of the staggeringly large mansion, with Duo trudging slowly behind, like a bear who had just come out of hibernation after a long winter. The former pilot seemed to rely on naps to recharge his perky demeanor. Heero noted, smiling wryly to himself, that he and Relena were the only two that didn't fall asleep during the long drive.

But, then, in the past they never did do much sleeping…

Heero stopped himself from smirking just in time to come face to face with the royal family. The rest of the Lockhart clan had begun to filter out of the house once the limo pulled up. The four of them, the prince's parents and two siblings, all together looked like they were about to pose for a Christmas card photo. Maybe they were.

The middle-aged king and queen were dressed more casually than Heero had expected, both wearing relaxed aran cable-knit sweaters and wool trousers. The king boasted a full head of thick reddish gold hair, with a barely perceptible receding hairline, and friendly crinkles around his green eyes. The queen looked younger than a mother of a 30-year-old, with a crown of lush brunette locks tinged with just a few streaks of silver that only added to her regal appearance. Her blue eyes twinkled fondly at her son and his bride-to-be.

A redheaded young man in his early twenties who was obviously Timothy's younger brother ran over to the group, flashing a lopsided grin. He pulled his older brother in for a bear hug against his red and blue striped rugby sweater, and playfully wrapped his arm around Timothy's neck, ruffling his much shorter blond hair.

Relena laughed as she observed the two, then made way for the youngest family member, who was rushing straight for her. A strawberry blonde girl who couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen wrapped her arms around Relena's waist, squealing with delight. Relena beamed down at the younger girl, noting that she had styled her hair with two tiny braids fastened by twin ribbons, much like the hairstyle she used to sport. Timothy's little sister had also added bangs. She wore a floral knit sweaterdress and leggings with sparkly gold oxford shoes, and had done her fingernails to match. There was also a swipe of pink glittery shadow across each eyelid, that Relena was sure Catherine had had to fight her mother for. Relena winked at her conspiratorily.

"I like your new look, Kitty," she whispered. The girl laughed, obviously pleased.

"Lena, my dear!" Timothy's younger, much more boisterous brother bellowed, folding Relena into his hug. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Good thing the wedding's happening soon, because this fellow has got to get you off the market." He gave his future sister-in-law a cheeky wink.

"Oh, Spencer." Relena gave him a playful slug on the arm. "You're adorable, as ever. And where's your girlfriend?"

"What girlfriend?" The redhead grinned.

"You're kidding me," Timothy glared at his brother. "You already called it quits with Amelia? I was starting to like her."

Spencer shrugged, still grinning. "What can I say? This stuff happens. Besides, I'm chatting up this American girl, Penny?" He whistled. "Wait'll you see… they love her," he gestured toward the king and queen, who had made their way down to the rest of the group.

"Love is a rather strong word, my darling," the queen teased her youngest son.

Relena stepped forward and gave a little curtsy before taking the queen's hand in her own. "Your Highness, as always, it's wonderful to see you."

The queen laughed gaily, throwing an arm around Relena's neck and kissing her once on each cheek. "Don't be silly, sweetheart. You know you can call me Evangeline. Or, goodness, just 'mum.'"

"Right," Relena laughed. "I'm sorry to be overly formal. I just…"

"Don't worry about it," the king, Andrew, stepped in, briefly hugging Relena before moving on to Timothy. "Welcome home," he said to both.

Heero surveyed the scene with mixed emotions. He could see how Timothy's family warmly welcomed Relena into their fold, and how she was obviously fond of each of them. He supposed that after losing her own family and her adopted father long ago, with her only blood relative living in space with his wife, that she would be longing to be part of something like this. What few knew or understood about Heero was that he sometimes felt that same pang. And the only person he'd ever considered family was standing only a few feet apart from him, about to become part of someone else's.

Just then, Relena turned and gestured to Heero and Duo.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet…"

"Ah, yes," Timothy interrupted. "Relena's bodyguards. These are… Dio and Aiden."

Duo glared at the back of Timothy's head. "That's Duo," he snapped. "And, uh, Odin."

"Oh, right." Timothy turned around and gave the two men his best bashful smile. "My mistake."

Relena gave her fiance a funny look before addressing his parents. "Duo Maxwell and Odin Lowe are two of the top Preventers."

A chorus of "ahh's" arose from the royals. Relena was hoping for a little more enthusiasm and admiration, but she let it drop.

"Well, let's get all of you inside. It's freezing out here!" Evangeline remarked. "Gerald will bring your bags." The limo driver followed dutifully with the luggage. Heero hung back to help, grabbing his bag and Relena's suitcase, a force of habit.

Heero followed as everyone entered the massive estate, decorated like one giant Christmas tree. White lights, evergreen and holly seemed to drip over every possible surface. He found it gaudy, but Duo's eyes were agog while Relena was gasping that it all looked like a "fairy castle."

"Well, it only made sense to keep the place decorated, especially since we weren't all able to be under one roof for the holidays." Evangeline spread her hands. "Although Timothy tells me that you had a wonderfully cozy Christmas and New Years in Brussels. Except, of course, for that awful incident." She pulled a face.

"Oh, yes." Relena's face flushed. "It was nice, before that happened…"

"Only 'nice,' eh? Sweetheart, you insult me." Timothy feigned being stabbed in the heart.

It took all of Heero's self control to keep from rolling his eyes.

Relena quieted while everyone else, save for Heero, laughed. With the exception of Timothy and Heero, none of them were there when the president was shot at. And they hadn't chased after the shooter, or dared to fire at him themselves. Except, of course, for Heero. But, then, she had managed to beat him at his own game. Yet despite the fact that the evening could have been a lot worse, and no one had been gravely injured, Relena was far from ready to take the event lightly. She still felt the pounding in her heart, the adrenaline rushing her system. And the shock she felt when laying eyes on her former paramour for the first time in ten long years.

The chatter dissipated as a silver-haired suited man appeared and began taking their coats. A collective gasp rose over Relena's cream-colored silk dress.

"Well, now, you do look like quite the bride," Evangeline praised, eyeing Relena up and down. "But the party's not until tomorrow night, darling, and we're just about to have tea! You should run along and change."

Heero noted disapproval in the queen's eyes, as if she was judging Relena for trying too hard. Unconsciously his hands tightened into fists.

"Right. I'll just run upstairs." Relena looked around for her suitcase, and saw that it was resting under Heero's hands. She shot him a look that he wasn't sure how to interpret.

"I'll go with you," Timothy instantly volunteered. His mother gave him a smack on the arm.

"Mind yourself!" the older woman chastised. "There'll be plenty of time for canoodling when you're married. Now come along and help your mother. Quick sticks." She sauntered off toward a nearby sitting room. Timothy did not refrain from rolling his eyes before following after the queen.

His little sister was giggling behind her glitter manicure. Spencer tugged on one of her braids.

"Come on, Kit-Kat, let your future big sis get settled in." He turned his sister toward the sitting room, looking over at Relena. "See you at tea, then?"

"Of course." Relena forced a smile and gave a tiny wave.

Spencer beamed. "Laters." He and Catherine disappeared around the corner.

That left the three of them standing awkwardly with the king, who muttered something about his pipe and petered out.

Relena looked at her two bodyguards, who both appeared bewildered. She squared her shoulders and smiled at both of them, determined to act as normal as possible, even around Heero. "Nice place, huh?" Duo bobbed his head while Heero remained motionless. Relena sighed. "Well, I had better go change. I'll take that." She gestured toward her suitcase. Heero's hold on it tightened.

"I'll take it for you," he said flatly.

"No need, sir," the man who had taken their coats spoke up. "I'll take Miss Relena's bags and then show you to your rooms."

"Thank you." Relena beamed a smile at him. "And excuse my rudeness. This is Bertram," she gestured to the man, who was obviously the family butler. "And these are Heero and Duo."

Heero shot her a look. Relena instantly colored. "I'm so sorry. Odin… I'm always doing that." She tossed off her error with a laugh. Bertram, to his credit, appeared nonplussed.

"Right, then. I'll be back in a moment." The older man carried Relena's suitcase and briefcase up a wide and winding marble staircase.

"I could have done that," Heero muttered. Relena waved a hand.

"It's better to just let him. He likes to stay active, and he's really in quite good shape." Heero just huffed a response.

"You know what they say," Duo nudged Heero. "When in Rome, man." He gave Relena a wink, which she returned with an affectionate smile.

"I'm glad you're so comfortable here, Duo. It makes things easier." She was wringing her hands together, twisting her ring around.

Duo stepped closer and slung an arm around her shoulder. "What have you got to be so nervous about, Princess? This place is practically home for you. Just live it up!" He grinned, looking all around them. "I know I would; I'd absolutely wreck this place."

"Oh, Duo." Relena patted his arm affectionately. "I'm glad you're not a royal. I like you exactly as you are."

"Yeah?" Duo laughed. "I'd be a royal pain in the…"

The braided bodyguard's voice trailed off when he felt Relena still beside him. He swung a look over his shoulder to see the queen was striding back toward them. He slipped his arm off of Relena's shoulders and stood up straight, suddenly on his best behavior.

Heero felt annoyed by this. People were just people, after all, titles or no. Before the queen could approach them, he stepped closer to Relena.

"Relena…" he murmured just behind her ear. "Do me a favor."

"Hm?" She didn't turn her face to look at him, her eyes instead trained on the queen.

"From now on, try to remember my name," he hissed.

Relena broke her composure. "Excuse me for not being able to keep all your code names straight," she retorted. "Next time, why don't you try sticking to things for a little longer." It wasn't a suggestion, or a request.

Heero just huffed, fighting his own silent war.

"I've got Timothy doing the placecards, my dear!" Evangeline cooed at Relena once she was near. "You should see him. It's quite the task."

"Oh, my," Relena giggled, turning the charm on once more. "I'll have to rescue him from that arduous duty." Just then Bertram was descending the stairs. "I'll be right back," Relena promised, darting up the stairs while giving the butler a "thank you."

"Such a lovely girl," the queen remarked before whirling on the two bodyguards. "Now then. You two. Bertram here will show you to your rooms. They're just there," she gestured toward a corridor behind the large staircase, "in the employees' wing, or what used to be called the servants' quarters. Of course, these days we wouldn't be so gauche with such a term." She tipped her chin up and laughed.

Duo joined her, although Heero was sure that his partner didn't have a clue what he was laughing about. Heero just did his best not to glower right at the queen. That would only upset Relena.

Instead he spoke up, politely as he knew how. "We're more accustomed to staying in close approximation to our charges," he practically lied on the spot. "Anyway, I'd like for us to be adjacent to Relena's room, if that could possibly be accommodated."

Duo just gaped at Heero, shocked that his stoic partner had spoken anything to the queen, let alone_ that_. _Damn it, _Duo thought in dismay. _We're dead..._

Evangeline just blinked once, her blue eyes going icy as they focused in on Heero. "Why of course," she cooed, "I can appreciate your concern. However, I can assure you that moving rooms won't be necessary. You see, with state of the art surveillance and guards of our own, Relena is quite safe here. I'm afraid the two of you are hardly even needed." She gave them a sweet smile that Heero saw as poison. "So why don't you go rest, and think of this weekend as a vacation? I'm sure it's not every day you get to stay in a place like this."

Heero had quickly taken to the local lingo, particularly the favorite catchphrase, dripping in sarcasm. "Right..." he scoffed.

The queen shot him a look, letting him know she was on to him before turning her heel. "Well. That's all, then. Bertram, please see these two young men off."

The way she said it sounded like she wanted them escorted off the premises, Heero thought. But the older man just smiled kindly at him and Duo.

"Right this way, gentlemen…"

"Dude…" Duo muttered to Heero under his breath as the two fell into step behind the butler. "Don't cha ever feel like saying to people, 'Hey, I used to sleep with the Queen of the World'?"

The way Duo had been sucking up to the queen, Heero was surprised that the braided Preventer had caught on to her snobbery. But then Duo often proved to be far more astute than he let on.

Heero lips twitched as he considered Duo's question. "No," he lied. "Doesn't cross my mind…"

A/N: Thank you again to all the lovely reviewers!

-RGS


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